Public Transit – Human Services Transportation Coordination Plan for San Bernardino County, 2016 - 2020
February 2017
Prepared by:
PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020
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ii PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 Public Transit – Human Services Transportation Coordination Plan for San Bernardino County, 2016-2020
Table of Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...... vii Purpose and Intent ...... vii Changing Transportation Landscape ...... vii San Bernardino County Transportation Context ...... viii Available Transportation ...... x Themes in Mobility Needs and Gaps ...... xii Defining Mobility Goals and Responsive Strategies ...... xviii Moving the COORDINATED PLAN Forward ...... xxv 1.0 PURPOSE AND APPROACH ...... 1 1.1 Introduction ...... 1 1.2 SBCTA’s Role ...... 4 1.3 Plan Objectives ...... 4 1.4 Process and Public Engagement...... 5 2.0 CONTEXT: PEOPLE AND PLACES ...... 7 2.1 Geography ...... 7 2.2 Demographics ...... 27 2.3 Employment ...... 31 3.0 CONTEXT: REGIONAL PLANS AND STUDIES ...... 32 3.1 Region-Wide Plan - SCAG ...... 32 3.2 San Bernardino County Level Plans ...... 32 3.3 Other Studies - Metrolink ...... 35 4.0 ASSESSMENT OF AVAILABLE TRANSPORTATION ...... 38 4.1 Inventory ...... 38 4.2 Experience with Available Specialized Transportation Funding ...... 44 4.3 Trips per Capita as a Measure of Use and Need ...... 47 5.0 ASSESSMENT OF MOBILITY NEEDS & GAPS ...... 51 5.1 Outreach Approach ...... 51 5.2 Countywide Transportation Network Findings ...... 52 5.3 San Bernardino Valley Outreach Findings ...... 56
iii PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 5.4 Victor Valley Outreach Findings ...... 61 5.5 Morongo Basin Outreach Findings ...... 63 5.6 Mountains Area Outreach Findings ...... 66 5.7 Barstow Area Outreach Findings ...... 68 5.8 Needles Outreach Findings ...... 70 5.9 Summary Themes for San Bernardino County Outreach ...... 72 6.0 COORDINATED PLAN GOALS, STRATEGIES & PRIORITIZATION ...... 73 6.1 Overview of Mobility Gaps and Needs ...... 73 6.2 Five Goals to Address Gaps and Needs ...... 78 6.3 Prioritizing the Strategies ...... 89 6.4 Ranking of All Strategies ...... 93 6.5 FTA Section 5310 Program Role in San Bernardino County to Address Mobility Needs and Gaps ...... 95 6.6 PASTACC’s Role in Supporting this 2016-2020 COORDINATED PLAN ...... 97 Appendices ...... 99 Appendix A – Transportation Provider Inventory Matrix ...... 100 Appendix B – 5310 Caltrans Fact Sheet ...... 105
List of Figures
Figure 1, Morongo Basin Subregion – Persons with Disabilities ...... 9 Figure 2, Morongo Basin Subregion – Low Income Population ...... 10 Figure 3, Morongo Basin Subregion – Households without a Vehicle ...... 10 Figure 4, Morongo Basin Subregion – Senior Population ...... 11 Figure 5, Mountain Subregion – Persons with Disabilities ...... 13 Figure 6, Mountain Subregion – Low Income Population ...... 13 Figure 7, Mountain Subregion – Households Without a Vehicle ...... 14 Figure 8, Mountain Subregion – Senior Population ...... 14 Figure 9, San Bernardino Valley Subregion – Persons with Disabilities ...... 17 Figure 10, San Bernardino Valley Subregion – Low Income Population ...... 18 Figure 11, San Bernardino Valley Subregion – Households Without a Vehicle ...... 19 Figure 12, San Bernardino Valley Subregion – Senior Population ...... 20 Figure 13, Victor Valley, Barstow, and Needles Subregions – Persons with Disabilities ...... 23 Figure 14, Victor Valley, Barstow, and Needles Subregions – Low Income Population ...... 24 Figure 15, Victor Valley, Barstow, and Needles Subregions – Households Without a Vehicle .... 25 Figure 16, Victor Valley, Barstow, and Needles Subregions – Senior Population ...... 26 Figure 17, San Bernardino County Target Population – Changes Over Two Time Periods ...... 29 Figure 18, San Bernardino County Rail, Transit, and Shared Use Trips ...... 48
iv PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 Figure 19, FY 2014-15 Selected Regions or Agencies Trips-per-Capita Rates ...... 50 Figure 20, Workshop Flyer ...... 51 Figure 21, Network Card Responses – Mobility Concerns ...... 54 Figure 22, Network Card Responses – Mobility Concerns by Sub-Area ...... 55 Figure 23, Intercept Survey – Destinations Where Public Transit Doesn’t Travel...... 56 Figure 24, Intercept Survey – What Improvements Would Make Travel Easier for You? ...... 57 Figure 25, Prioritization Workshop Flyer, Spanish ...... 89 Figure 26, Prioritization Workshop Flyer, English ...... 89 Figure 27, Urbanized and Non-Urbanized Areas ...... 95
List of Tables
Table 1, San Bernardino County Coordinated Plan – Target Populations ...... 30 Table 2, Specialized Transportation Funding for San Bernardino County ...... 46 Table 3, FY 2014-15 Public and Specialized Transportation Measures ...... 49 Table 4, San Bernardino County 2016 Coordinated Plan Goals ...... 79 Table 5, 2016 San Bernardino Coordinated Plan – Goals, Prioritized Strategies and Illustrative Projects ...... 80
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vi PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 Public Transit – Human Services Transportation Coordination Plan for San Bernardino County, 2016-2020 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Purpose and Intent
This PUBLIC TRANSIT-HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN is prepared in response to Federal statute, initially required in 2005 and re-authorized in the January 2016 legislation PL 114-22 Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST Act), relying on guidance previously developed in Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Circular 9070.1G. Termed the COORDINATED PLAN, it identifies and addresses transportation needs and gaps of seniors, persons with disabilities and persons of low-income. Through mobility goals, strategies and projects, it provides direction to numerous San Bernardino stakeholders including the County Transportation Commission, the county’s public transit providers, human service agencies, cities and the County.
Eligible COORDINATED PLAN strategies can be supported with Federal Transit Administration Section 5310 funds which can provide capital and operating funds for projects identified in the Plan. However, this competitive funding source is modest, with San Bernardino County projects securing just $2.75 million in Federal funding for the most recent two-year cycle, FY 2013-14 and FY 2014-15. So, stakeholder organizations must be creative and pro-active in developing strategic responses to the mobility concerns of San Bernardino County residents described in this COORDINATED PLAN.
Changing Transportation Landscape
This is a period of tremendous change in the transportation field with implications that are unfolding for public transportation and specialized transportation providers alike. Changes in service delivery models, in information dissemination and in fare payment technology are epitomized in the new service models that Uber and Lyft are successfully implementing. How these changes impact the populations of concern to this COORDINATED PLAN will be better understood with time, as will ways to craft responses that protect equitable access to new services and to affordable service innovations for older adults, individuals with disabilities and
vii PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020
low-income households. The COORDINATED PLAN provides one road map through this period of change, with a focus on the mobility challenges of the County’s most vulnerable populations.
San Bernardino County Transportation Context
The County’s population continues to grow larger and older, with continuing significant poverty rates.
Chapter 2 describes the characteristics of the COORDINATED PLAN’S Target Populations, including detailing the changes between the census periods of 2000 and 2014. Adults ages 18 to 64 grew from 59.3% to 62.3% of the total population (2.1 million residents) by 2014. The County’s share of seniors age 65 and older also grew from 8.5% to 9.6% between 2000 and 2014. Most critically, the County’s share of lower income seniors increased dramatically by 89.6%, from 11,822 in the 2000 Census to 22,412 in the 2014 American Community Survey (ACS). Persons with disabilities make up 11% of the total population overall; however, within each target population, the ratio is quite distinct. Of children up to age 17, 3% have a disability; among adults ages 18 to 64, 9% report a disability; and 40% of older adults report a disability. Among low-income persons, 30% of the total population (630,922 residents) is at 150% of the Federal Poverty Level. Eleven percent of seniors are at the Federal Poverty Level and the low-income adult population grew to more than 215,500 individuals, or 16.7% of the adult population in the 2014 ACS, a 56.3% increase during the two reporting periods. The military veteran population composes 4.9% of the County’s total population, with the largest group composed of veterans aged 65 years and older. Per the ACS, 15% of residents, a total of 311,336 residents, are Limited English Proficient (LEP). These trends are summarized in Exhibit ES-1, following.
viii PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 Exhibit ES-1, Summary of San Bernardino County Target Populations Demographics
ix PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020
Chapter 2 also details population differences between the County’s subregions.
Additional context is provided in Chapter 3 through summaries of regional and transit provider’s short and long range transit plans, highlighting findings of relevance to this 2016 COORDINATED PLAN. The review includes SCAG’s vision of “more choices for getting around”, planning for incorporating mobility management activities, and recommended transit service improvements.
Available Transportation
Chapter 4 presents the inventory of available fixed route, demand response, and specialized transportation in San Bernardino County. Almost 20 million passenger trips were provided by San Bernardino County’s impressive and growing mix of transportation modes during the most recent reporting year, FY 2014/15, as depicted in Exhibit ES-2, following.
Exhibit ES-2, San Bernardino County Rail, Transit and Share Use Trips
A majority of trips, 85%, were taken on the six fixed route systems provided by the county’s five (5) public transit providers: Omnitrans, Victor Valley Transit Authority (VVTA) providing service in Victor Valley and Barstow, Morongo Basin Transit Authority (MBTA), Mountain Transit, and Needles Area Transit provided by the City of Needles. The fixed route network also includes Metrolink’s commuter rail services with six stations within San Bernardino County. Chapter 4
x PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 details these transportation programs, including their services, general rider policies, and ridership levels.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) services are provided by each public transit operator: Omnitrans Access in the San Bernardino Valley, MBTA Ready Ride in the Morongo Basin, Mountain Transit Dial-a-Ride in the mountain region, VVTA Direct Access in the High Desert and Barstow, and Needles Dial-a-Ride in the City of Needles.
Specialized transportation services are also part of the county network, providing trips or services to the COORDINATED PLAN populations and important to their mobility and well-being. Chapter 4 describes several directly-operated transportation programs of municipalities and human service agencies, as well as a handful of informational referral, taxi voucher, mileage reimbursement programs and travel training programs. These programs have limited “carrying capacity”, providing 1% or 100,000 of total overall trips provided, but filling important and individualized trip needs.
In relation to the County’s population, the almost 20 million public transit trips provided in the most recent year reflect an annual 7.9 fixed route trips per-capita-rate, total public transit trips into total population, as illustrated in Exhibit ES-3. Trips-per-capita is an important performance measure in considering transit utilization and transit demand in relation to population growth. It is a tool for assessing the volume of service provided and how that relates to the population, as a ratio of trips to population. The comparatively low number of shared use trips provided, 9.3 trips-per-capita, conveys the challenges of providing public transportation in low-density, expansive service areas of San Bernardino County. Private transportation providers are also described as part of this inventory effort.
xi PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 Exhibit ES-3, San Bernardino County Annual Public Transit Trips Per Capita
Trips per Capita 2014/2015 National Transit Database (NTD) MotorBus Trips Reported In Relation to 2015 Service Area Population
LA Metro 41.9 San Diego MTS 23.3 Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority 17.5 Orange County Transit Authority 16.1 Sacramento Regional Transit 13.2 Sunline Transit Agency 11.1 Antelope Valley Transit Authority 10.3 North County Transit District (San Diego County) 9.6 San Bernardino County (All Reporting Modes) 9.3 San Bernardino County (All F/R Providers) 7.9 Riverside Transit Agency 5.4 - 10.0 20.0 30.0 40.0 50.0
Trips per Capita
Themes in Mobility Needs and Gaps
Required under statute of this COORDINATED PLAN is an extensive public involvement process. Described in Chapter 5, this COORDINATED PLAN’S outreach included six consumer and stakeholder workshops, input from 95 agencies through the Transit Network Update Process, intercept surveying at the San Bernardino Transit Center, two prioritization workshops, comments provided through the project website, and review of outreach findings from Short Range Transit Plan (SRTP) processes. An estimated 265 individuals or organizations directly contributed to the Plan development process.
The findings of these outreach activities reveal a landscape of rich transit resources, but whose residents experience mobility gaps and needs based on where they live or their individualized needs. Chapter 5 details how these needs differ by sub areas of the County. As common themes did emerge among the Target Populations and areas, those topical themes and summary need statements from which they were derived are provided below. These nine themes are: Underserved and unserved areas exist throughout the County. Expanding service hours, days of service, and increasing frequencies can fill some gaps. Long-distance regional, medical and work trip needs exist throughout the County. Affordability can be a barrier to use.
xii PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 Increased awareness and training about existing services, programs, and resources will help meet trip needs. Increased access to transit / safe path-of-travel / safe and comfortable rides will help fill gaps. Maintain and develop creative solutions / Support existing mobility options. Improving coordination between public transit and specialized transit providers, health and medical agencies, human and social services and non-profit agencies can fill gaps in service and avoid duplication. Encourage enhanced mobility management strategies, such as developing regional brokerages
1. Underserved and unserved areas exist throughout the County. San Bernardino County’s geography and vastness creates barriers to mobility. Public outreach efforts revealed challenges traveling between and within the County’s sub-areas.
• In the San Bernardino Valley, riders reported difficulty connecting between cities, especially traveling east and west. Also reported was the difficulty traveling to the rural or outlying areas of the County and between Counties. • These rural sub-regions are often unserved or underserved due to the long trip lengths, the long distances between residences and service centers, and dirt roads that traditional public transit vehicle can’t always travel. In the Victor Valley, reported underserved areas include: Lucerne Valley; Phelan; Piñon Hills; parts of Apple Valley; Ranchero, exterior portions of Hesperia; Oak Hills; Highland; and Sherwood. • In the Morongo Basin, unserved areas include between cities, Pioneer Town, Landers, and Wonder Valley. • There is public transit within the City of Needles, however individuals needing to travel beyond or to the City report limited or no transit. Mobility is needed between Fort Mohave and Needles and between Needles and Arizona. • Underserved areas within Barstow include the Veterans Home. Beyond Barstow, individuals report needing transit in unincorporated and remote County lands, such as along Highway 58 and in Lenwood.
2. Expanding service hours, days of service, and increasing frequencies can fill some gaps. • Later evening hours and increased weekend hours were requested in the San Bernardino Valley to serve alternative work schedules • Increased frequency requests in the Victor Valley include a direct route from Hesperia to Victor Valley College.
xiii PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 • In the Morongo Basin, employees at the Twentynine Palms Marine Corps Base need increased weekend hours serving the Base to accommodate their work schedules. Increased frequency is desired in Yucca Valley, to Copper Mountain College, and in Twentynine Palms. Increased service is needed to Landers, between Morongo Valley and Yucca Valley. Riders would like Sunday service for work, church and shopping trips. • In the Mountains area, increased service hours and frequencies were in the top five improvements reported by survey respondents in Big Bear and the RIM. In Big Bear 48.1% of respondents wanted service later in the evenings, and 29.6% of respondents wanted more frequent service on existing routes. In the RIM, the top five improvements all related to increased frequencies on weekend, later evening hours, or increased frequency on existing routes. • Input from Barstow included requests for B-V Link service on weekends. • In Needles, there was greatest interest in expanding the Saturday schedule to later afternoon hours. There was also interest in some limited level Sunday service for church and social activities, as well as weekday evening service expansion for shopping trips, youth trips for school and sports activities as well as for trips to Palo Verde Community College facility.
3. Long-distance regional, medical and work trip needs exist throughout the County. The long distances between sub-areas of the County and medical services or job opportunities can be a barrier to individuals receiving healthcare or securing and maintaining employment. The difficulty of navigating these long distances, which includes connections between multiple providers, was reported in most outreach activities. Specific concerns include:
• In the San Bernardino Valley riders report limited transit or lack of bus stops cause difficulty getting to medical destinations such as: Montclair Hospital Medical Center, Chino Valley Medical Center, and Redlands Community Hospital. • Public outreach in the Victor Valley found that employment-related transportation is a great concern, particularly as many people are traveling to the Valley from other areas for work opportunities. • Within the Morongo Basin, the public reported difficulty getting to Behavioral Health, Yucca Valley, Airway Outpatient Surgery Center, and other medical centers and clinics on Highway 62. • Additional mobility needs of the Morongo Basin include traveling out of the area for medical and other services. Destinations include: Loma Linda Arrowhead Regional Medical Center; Desert Regional in Palm Springs; Naval Medical Center in San Diego; courts and doctors in Victorville.
xiv PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 • Seniors in the Mountains Area report needing to travel down the hill to specialists in the Valley. Survey results indicated that riders would like to see service expanded to the Loma Linda VA, to Victorville, and to Lucerne Valley. • Riders in Barstow reported needing transit to get to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton. • Long distance trip needs are a reoccurring need in Needles as services are limited within the City. Destinations for medical and work trips include Bullhead City in Arizona, Arrowhead Regional Medical Center and Loma Linda University Medical Center. Veterans seeking local medical care must travel to Lake Havasu, 42 miles south to the Community Based Outpatient Clinic there. • There is also need for local transportation for medical trips to Colorado River Medical Center, the only medical center in the tri-state, tri-county region.
4. Affordability can be a barrier to use. In multiple outreach settings, stakeholders and riders commented that affording fares can be challenge, especially for riders traveling across multiple providers. Commenters urged that fare increases be considered very carefully and stressed the importance of the subsidized bus passes that are currently distributed by many social services agencies. The review of Transportation Network database revealed that multiple agencies are concerned about developing low-cost transit solutions. Affordability was a key concern in several of the county’s sub-areas, including:
• In Barstow, seniors on fixed-incomes report difficulty affording the dial-a-ride fare as well as the 10-ride pass. The B-V Link is also a large expense for riders making weekly trips to Loma Linda or other destinations. • Low-income households in Needles struggle to purchase the 30-trip pass at one time and some expressed interest in a Day Pass. • In multiple settings, stakeholders expressed the need to continue making subsidized bus passes available as many riders depend on them. In the Victor Valley, for example, there is a notable decline in seniors going to congregate meal sites when bus passes run out.
5. Increased awareness and training about existing services, programs, and resources will help meet trip needs. Discussions throughout the County demonstrated that although there are increasingly more services available, stakeholders and the general public often don’t know what services exist or how to access them. Suggestions to better promote transit services included:
• Agencies such as Foothill Aids Project and Transitional Assistance Department report a lack of awareness about transportation services and programs among both clients and staff.
xv PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 There are existing services and programs that may more cost-effectively meet some trip needs; however, agencies may not aware of all the transit resources available. • Agency staff should be trained about transit availability and eligibility requirements and how to access services so they can provide transit information during in-take services. • VetLink should continue to promote its capabilities as a trip-discovery tool for the general public or agency staff as many agencies are not aware of it. • Stakeholders in the Victor Valley suggested that Public Housing facilities would be a good venue to provide travel training and transit information. • Riders in Barstow report that they don’t get enough information about transit and would like more opportunities to participate in the decision-making process. • Barstow Senior Center computers are only used for games, but could be used for trip planning. • In Needles, there is limited awareness of the Dial-A-Ride Medical service for non-seniors. • Stakeholders in Needles reported a need for improved website information to offer guidance to prospective riders and the importance of continued distribution of Needles schedules and ride guides around the City.
6. Increased access to transit / safe path-of-travel / safe and comfortable rides will help fill gaps. • Improved access in the Valley can be achieved through repairing sidewalks on Waterman Avenue in San Bernardino and Mill Street, ensuring stops are accessible for wheelchair users, and adding benches at stops. • Riders suggested that cleaning bathrooms at the Montclair Transit Center and keeping the Omnitrans Transit Center bathrooms open during operating hours will improve riders’ experience. • In the Morongo Valley, bus stops need signs and benches and drivers need assistance reinforcing priority seating policy for seniors and people with disabilities and policies about hygiene. The bag carrying policy should also be revisited. • Access in the Morongo Valley can be improved by ensuring stops are accessible and safe for riders in wheelchairs. • In Needles, sidewalk improvements will improve accessibility and safety. Bus stop improvements such as shelters will improve riders’ comfort and safety.
7. Maintain and develop creative solutions / Support existing mobility options. • Across the County, volunteer driver programs, like TREP and TRIP, are helping fill gaps and providing trips that public transit can’t always serve. Stakeholders in the San Bernardino
xvi PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 Valley, Victor Valley, and Barstow expressed the need to continue supporting and funding these programs and demonstrated the challenges these programs face. Volunteer driver programs need assistance collecting data and reporting on impacts. • Stakeholders urged the need to continue securing grant funding for non-profits and partners in rural areas, particularly for accessible vehicles. • In Barstow, riders and stakeholders discussed the possibility of developing a transit program at the Barstow Senior Center or the Barstow Veterans Home. • Current FTA 5310 grantees, like Pomona Valley Workshop, desire to maintain and grow their transportation programs. These agencies and their transit programs need for assistance continues as they face funding uncertainties and increasing reporting requirements.
8. Improving coordination between public transit and specialized transit providers, health and medical agencies, human and social services and non-profit agencies can fill gaps in service and avoid duplication. • Stakeholders in the San Bernardino Valley recognize the need to talk across sectors, building effective communication with and between transportation providers. This will help promote awareness of both existing and new transportation services. • Agencies should engage transit providers early in the process when they are considering moving or siting a new location. • There is a need to clarify ACCESS eligibility requirements for hospital staff, Loma Linda VA staff, and for staff at non-profits, such as Foothill Aids Project. The ACCESS team could increase its outreach to coordinate with existing collaboratives and agencies. • Healthcare discharge planning should begin during the intake process, and hospital staff responsible for discharge should be encouraged to be informed about transit options and how to access them. • Transit agencies should join existing coordinating groups and healthcare collaboratives.
9. Encourage enhanced mobility management strategies, such as by developing regional brokerages. • Stakeholders in the San Bernardino Valley, Morongo Basin and Victor Valley are interested in exploring a brokerage model and VVTA is actively exploring developing a brokerage program. Benefits discussed during this process included:
xvii PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 • More effectively meet needs as existing programs could expand capacity by serving other trip types or clientele. • Help other agencies and non-profits fill gaps and meet needs that public transit can’t serve. • Continued coordination between existing services.
Defining Mobility Goals and Responsive Strategies
Chapter 6 defines the five goals and thirty-two strategies by which to address this 2016 COORDINATED PLAN’S findings of mobility needs and gaps. The strategies were either proposed by participants in the outreach processes or are drawn from industry best practice as appropriate and realizable solutions.
San Bernardino County is a large county with a complex set of needs; so, too, is the response to those needs. Given the COORDINATED PLAN’S intent to improve the mobility of San Bernardino County residents who are older adults, persons with disabilities or persons of low-income, these numerous strategies reflect the diversity of the county, its vast spaces, and the diversity and specialization of mobility needs. Also, many stakeholders are involved in improving mobility, and these strategies reflect the varying, potential solutions by which agencies can approach improved mobility.
Chapter 6 provides details on how these strategies were ranked, how rankings differ by transit operators versus human service agencies, listing the top ten strategies for both agency types.
These COORDINATED PLAN goals are provided in Exhibit ES-4, following.
xviii PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 Exhibit ES-4, 2016-2020 Coordinated Plan Goals
Goal 1 – Grow Mobility Choices Increase the geographic reach, frequency and types of public transit, human services and private transportation choices available to San Bernardino residents as demand warrants and resources allow. 10 Strategies and Solutions Goal 2 – Promote and Coordinate Transportation Services Promote, improve and expand information portals, ensuring multi-cultural strategies, embracing technology and employing mobility management tools to improve mobility and access. 8 Strategies and Solutions Goal 3 – Connect and Speed Transit Improve connectivity among public transportation services and between modes, embracing innovations that speed travel or coordinate trips through trip brokerages, as funding allows. 5 Strategies and Solutions Goal 4 – Improve Health Care Transportation Access Promote transportation solutions that improve the ability of San Bernardino residents to travel to and from local and regional medical services and treatments. 2 Strategies and Solutions Goal 5 – Promote Safe and Comfortable Mobility Ensure safety through new and well-maintained rolling stock, attention to passenger safety and to physical environments that promote safety for pedestrians and bicyclists. 7 Strategies and Solutions
As per the Federal guidance for the US FTA 5310 program detailed in C9070 1G Circular 4-20- 15, the development of locally-developed Coordinated Plans requires a local process for prioritizing the proposed strategies and projects. To do so, two Prioritization Workshops were held during the summer of 2016, in Joshua Tree and in San Bernardino, to invite comment from stakeholders and agency representatives on the proposed program of goals, strategies and solutions. Each strategy was ranked either as a critical, top-ranked priority or as an important, second-ranked priority.
The strategy responses and ranking described in this COORDINATED PLAN are summarized on the following pages.
xix PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 Goal 1: Grow Mobility Choices
First Priority Strategies Strategy 1.1 Increase frequency of existing transit services. Strategy 1.2 Support and grow human service transportation, as cost-effective alternatives to public transit, responsive to individualized rider needs and able to serve isolated rural areas.
Strategy 1.3 Secure funding, particularly from discretionary sources, to maintain, enhance and expand transit and specialized transportation services.
Strategy 1.4 Expand public transit service areas to unserved and underserved areas of the county where sufficient demand presents.
Strategy 1.5 Maintain, support and expand transportation programs that provide escort and door-through-door transportation assistance.
Second Priority Strategies Strategy 1.6 Support transit affordability through public transit fare policy and subsidy options.
Strategy 1.7 Promote and expand vanpool and other shared-ride alternative transportation modes to aid in making first-and-last mile connections.
Strategy 1.8 Regularly report on transit and transportation services at the countywide level to track growth and trends in service supply and service utilization.
Strategy 1.9 Expand operating hours of service, largely later evening service, to meet additional trip needs.
Strategy 1.10 Expand operating days of service, primarily weekends and holidays, to meet additional trip needs.
Goal 2: Promote and Coordinate Transportation Services
First Priority Strategies Strategy 2.1 Promote multiple avenues of customer-oriented information about available transit and specialized transportation, including paper, technology, telephone- based platforms, and social media.
Strategy 2.2 Promote mobility management initiatives including travel training of individuals and transit orientation of agency staff as regular, on-going activities.
xx PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 Strategy 2.3 Human service and transit agencies should make local connections to improve communication between service systems and ensure effective information exchange regarding service system changes, anticipated changes, or facility- based changes.
Second Priority Strategies Strategy 2.4 Develop and promote rider-centric information tools that may be destination- focused or user group focused.
Strategy 2.5 Develop enhanced information portals that promote the full range of available transportation options, encourage effective trip-planning tools, and provide real- time traveler information.
Strategy 2.6 Human service agency transportation programs should provide to Find-a-Ride trip planner programs their updated transportation provider characteristics to aid prospective riders.
Strategy 2.7 Develop targeted workshops, at least annually, to promote local dialogue and exchange between human services and public transit agencies and to explore opportunity for further coordination and mutual assistance.
Strategy 2.8 Mobility managers should report units of service and impacts to demonstrate value of transportation initiatives.
Goal 3: Connect and Speed Transit
First Priority Strategies Strategy 3.1 To connect and extend human service transportation, examine the feasibility of brokerages, using technology to expand trip-making efficiencies where there are sufficient “willing and able” transportation-providing agencies.
Second Priority Strategies Strategy 3.2 Improve connectivity within and between transit programs via continued attention to shorter trips and speedier travel times, both within San Bernardino County and to neighboring Riverside, Los Angeles and Orange Counties.
Strategy 3.3 Promote first-and-last mile policies, services and information tools that shorten trips and speed travel.
Strategy 3.4 Monitor and improve service reliability to ensure effective connections and transfers within and between transit systems and transportation modes.
xxi PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 Strategy 3.5 Develop connectivity with Arizona, including coordinated service options, enabling Needles residents to travel toward Bullhead City for work and other purposes.
Goal 4: Improve Health Care Transportation Access
First Priority Strategy Strategy 4.1 Improve health care access by addressing long-distance, regional trip needs through additional transportation options, such as more direct fixed-route, shuttles, lifeline services, car share and other options targeted to medical facilities and health care trips.
Second Priority Strategy Strategy 4.2 Promote rider education and rider travel awareness information that identifies destination-specific transportation resources or purpose-specific (e.g. health care) transportation resources.
Goal 5: Promote Safe and Comfortable Mobility
First Priority Strategy Strategy 5.1 Secure capital funding for vehicles and ongoing maintenance to ensure safe, accessible transportation.
Strategy 5.2 Promote and strengthen driver training and driver sensitivity programs, including coordinated training opportunities, to ensure safe and comfortable rides for all riders, particularly older adults and persons with disabilities.
Strategy 5.3 Enhance or add shelters, benches, lighting, other infrastructure amenities at stops, important to support existing and attract new riders.
Second Priority Strategy Strategy 5.4 Ensure transfer facility maintenance, including bathroom facilities, to encourage new ridership.
Strategy 5.5 Promote safe pedestrian and bicycle environments as first-and-last mile solutions, including growing bike capacity on buses.
Strategy 5.6 Develop or enhance wayfinding signage at key destinations, including transfer facilities, to help ensure a safe and comfortable complete trip.
Strategy 5.7 Ensure cleanliness of buses to promote comfortable rides.
xxii PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 Differences and Similarities in Top-Ranked Strategies As noted above, the prioritization of these strategies was developed through two SBCTA workshops that involved over 40 stakeholders. There were both differences and surprising agreement in how representatives of public transit representatives and of human services prioritized these strategies.
Among the top-ranked strategies, the health access strategy (4.1) was not highly-rated by the transit agencies but was highest ranked by human service agencies, presumably reflecting their differences in perspective on long-distance regional trips. Both groups rated frequency (1.1) above coverage (1.4) in that continuing trade-off with which public transit grapples.
Funding is clearly critical to both groups, with securing both operating funding (1.3) and capital funding (5.1) in the top-ranked group of strategies. Fare affordability (1.6) was cited as important by human services but not public transit in this tier of top-ranked projects.
Technology’s role was recognized by both groups, for human service agencies in promoting customer-oriented information (2.1) and by transit representatives’ interest in utilizing brokerages (3.1) to coordinate trips for more cost-effective use of resources. Training of drivers, riders and others also ranked highly, for drivers (5.2) and through mobility management (2.2) for potential riders and human service agency personnel about transit services individually and generally. Transit agencies rated these mobility management functions more highly, perhaps because these have proven to be useful ambassadors of transit service information. Continued support for the escort and door-through-door travel options (1.5) was rated comparable by both groups, recognizing its role for those unable to use public transit due to rural residences or the frailty of the traveler. Recognition of the infrastructure needs around bus stop improvements (5.3) made the top tier, ranked of about equal import by both sectors.
Exhibit ES-5 presents the 32 strategies and their prioritization ranking.
xxiii PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020
xxiv PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020
Moving the COORDINATED PLAN Forward
As noted in statute and in the Introduction to this 2016-2020 COORDINATED PLAN, the FTA Section 5310 program is the primary funding source by which to support identified strategies and projects, although there are a range of other funding sources that can and will support activities recommended by this Plan. With regard to Section 5310 funding, SBCTA in partnership with Caltrans has embarked upon a Call-for-Projects for the grant awards for the three-year period of 2017 through 2020.
Funding for these projects flows either through Caltrans or through SBCTA. Caltrans is responsible for projects in the rural areas of San Bernardino County and for the Riverside-San Bernardino urbanized area, the latter area shown in dark pink in Exhibit ES-6 below. SBCTA will be responsible, through its partnership with Omnitrans, for the urbanized area that is part of the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim urbanized area, the lighter pink area in the west end of the San Bernardino Valley.
Exhibit ES-6, San Bernardino County Urbanized Areas
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xxvi PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020
Public Transit – Human Services Transportation Coordination Plan for San Bernardino County, 2016-2020 1.0 PURPOSE AND APPROACH
1.1 Introduction
This 2016 Update to the Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Coordination Plan for San Bernardino County (COORDINATED PLAN) addresses Congressional direction related to approximately $1.5 million available annually to the San Bernardino County urbanized areas through the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Section 5310 funding and additional funds to the County’s rural areas. This COORDINATED PLAN also provides documentation useful in pursuing this and other funding sources to address reported mobility needs of older adults, persons with disabilities and persons of low-income.
Authorization The 2016 UPDATE TO THE PUBLIC TRANSIT-HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY (COORDINATED PLAN) serves to document mobility needs and gaps of seniors, persons with disabilities and persons of low-income living and traveling within San Bernardino County.
Required by Federal statute, the first Coordinated Plan in 2005 was responsive to Public Law 109-059 Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). In 2012 the Coordinated Plan requirement was reaffirmed in authorizing legislation Public Law 112-141 Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21). Within the Federal context, its direction narrowed from three funding programs authorized in SAFETEA-LU to just a single program under MAP-21, Section 5310, Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities. In January 2016, Congress authorized new transportation legislation with Public Law 114-22 Fixing America’s Surface Transportation [FAST Act] with five- year provisions that are now the first long-term transportation legislation in many years. As rules governing FAST Act implementation are still to be written, public transit providers and planning agencies continue to implement the guidance provided under MAP-21.
1 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 The Future is Here This is a time of transformative change in mobility, change that is happening alongside of and, in some cases, despite regulatory direction and requirements. New service models, new information capabilities, new technology and new investment are shaping change and expanding individuals’ choices for travel to work, school, medical, recreation and other key destinations. And autonomous vehicles, with all their unknown implications, loom.
New service models in the ride hail industry through Uber and Lyft are creating viable travel alternatives to driving oneself. The advantages of immediacy of pick-up – often within 5 minutes, the convenience of ordering and paying for the trip from one’s phone, and the assurance of seeing the driver and approaching vehicle on one’s phone are all very attractive ingredients. Competitive pricing – at least during non-surge, off-peak hours – is its most compelling feature.
New information tools coupled with technology innovations empower that hand-held “mobile data terminal” to enable riders and prospective riders to plan a trip according to various criteria that shape their choices. Cost, speed of travel, distances to walk and the number of transfers are among the factors influencing individual choice. The proliferation of “apps” by which to discover and plan the trip are now making way to those by which real-time information is delivered on when that vehicle will be at this stop. And the growing ability to pay for the trip, via one’s phone and on the Internet, increases the convenience of use.
The equity implications of these changes – disruptive to the taxi cab and public transit industries both – are significant for the populations of concern in this COORDINATED PLAN. Equity concerns are real. The transportation network companies (TNC), Uber and Lyft, seek out high- density areas, not necessarily the low-density suburbs that typify Southern California and San Bernardino County. Simply getting a TNC pickup in some neighborhoods will remain difficult, if impossible, given our predominately suburban spaces. Trip costs that are lower than a taxi trip, perhaps $6 to $7 for a trip of 3 to 4 miles, can still add up if taken daily to help connect a rider to a rail or high-speed bus line. Ordering a trip, whether via a smart phone or on the computer, is not possible for some who do not have the ability to do so. Paying for a trip via a smart phone application is not possible for the “unbanked” for whom a cash-based economy is their reality. Finally, within the TNC industry, reliably providing accessible vehicles to serve persons using mobility devices and ensuring that drivers are drug-free and appropriately trained are as yet unresolved challenges.
The COORDINATED PLAN and its implementation process will need to monitor these changes, all happening at a very fast pace. And the public transit industry itself will need to move nimbly and with greater flexibility than it is generally known for, both to keep up with change and to craft its positions in the coming world of the autonomous vehicles. While historically public
2 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 transit has been largely in a reactive mode, the type and pace of changes in mobility now make every setting a potential laboratory in which to introduce and test change. Responding to these changes and monitoring the impacts of new services from the viewpoint of older adults, persons with disabilities and persons of low-income will be a critical role of the COORDINATED PLAN audiences.
Plan Goal and Requirements The 2016 COORDINATED PLAN’S overarching goal is to enhance the mobility of individuals with disabilities, seniors, people with low incomes, and military veterans, its Target Populations. MAP-21 regulation, currently the guiding regulation, requires that projects selected for funding be included in a locally developed, coordinated public transit-human services transportation plan, the COORDINATED PLAN. It also requires that the COORDINATED PLAN be developed and approved through a process that included participation by seniors, individuals with disabilities, representatives of public, private and nonprofit transportation and human services providers, and other members of the public.
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA), as the implementing agency, maintains flexibility in how projects appear in a Coordination Plan. Projects may be identified as strategies, activities, and/or specific projects to address an identified service gap or transportation coordination objective articulated. Local prioritization of strategies and projects is required by MAP-21. To the maximum extent feasible, funded services that may subsequently be funded with Section 5310 dollars are to coordinated with transportation services assisted by other federal departments and local agencies.
Funding Coordinated Plan Projects, FTA Section 5310 The single funding source directly associated with this COORDINATED PLAN is informally overseen by the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA), as the County Transportation Commission. Caltrans provides the actual administration of the Section 5310 Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities program, responsible for the Call for Projects every two to three years, the letting of contracts and recipient of regular project reporting.
The Federal Section 5310 funding to San Bernardino County is modest and in the last funding opportunity, awarded a total of $2.75 million. Its goal is to improve mobility for seniors and individuals with disabilities by removing barriers to transportation services and expanding the availability of transportation mobility options. Section 5310 funds are available for capital and operating expenses, including those that exceed ADA requirements and for many of the projects that may be identified within this COORDINATED PLAN.
3 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 1.2 SBCTA’s Role
The San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) is the designated County Transportation Commission (CTC) for San Bernardino County. In this role, SBCTA is responsible for coordinating County Transportation Improvement Programs (TIP) and for coordinating mass transit. SBCTA also allocates millions of dollars in federal and state highway and transit categorical funds within the County.
In 1986 with the passage of Measure I, the voter-approved half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements, SBCTA became the County Transportation Authority. As such, SBCTA oversees the nearly $2.9 billion, twenty-year transportation improvement program which Measure I funds. The Authority also administers a one billion-dollar Valley program of major projects, including funding for major state freeway and highway construction, commuter rail services, elderly and handicapped services, and traffic management and environmental enhancement efforts. In 2004 voters approved the extension of the Measure I sales tax through 2040.
1.3 Plan Objectives
This COORDINATED PLAN enables SBCTA to comply with federal requirements and to continue effectively administering the Specialized Transit Program.
The 2016 COORDINATED PLAN will allow:
• FTA, through Caltrans and SBCTA, to make grant awards to projects selected for funding; • Specialized Transit Program participants to implement their projects with grant funding support; • Individuals with disabilities, seniors, people with low incomes, and military veterans (“Target Populations”) to benefit from enhanced mobility; • Transit and human services agencies to better coordinate transportation services; and • Stakeholders to pursue other federal, state and local funding sources to address the mobility needs of the Target Populations with documentation of mobility needs in San Bernardino County, thereby supplementing what public transportation providers do and extending their reach to hard-to-serve areas or difficult-to-serve trips.
The COORDINATED PLAN’S overarching goal is to enhance the mobility of individuals with disabilities, seniors, people with low incomes, and military veterans (“Target Populations”). To achieve this, the 2016 COORDINATED PLAN includes the following four elements:
4 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 1. An assessment of available services that identifies current transportation providers (public, private, and nonprofit) for the Target Populations; 2. An assessment of transportation needs for the Target Populations; 3. Development of Strategies, activities, and/or projects to address the identified gaps between current services and needs, as well as opportunities to achieve efficiencies in service delivery; and 4. Identification of Priorities for implementation based on resources (from multiple program sources), time, and feasibility for implementing specific strategies and/or activities identified.
1.4 Process and Public Engagement
The 2016 COORDINATED PLAN was developed in compliance with federal requirements and consistent with the applicable planning process. It was developed and approved through a process that included participation by seniors, individuals with disabilities, people with low incomes, military veterans, other members of the public, and representatives of public, private, nonprofit transportation and human service providers.
SBCTA prepared this plan with assistance provided by AMMA Transit Planning, which included conducting outreach to comply with FTA requirements and applicable public participation and stakeholder consultation provisions. The development of the 2016 COORDINATED PLAN also considered existing documentation relevant to its Target Populations, including the SBCTA’s Long Range Plan, Omnitrans Comprehensive Operational Analysis, VVTA Comprehensive Operational Analysis, and MBTA Focused Comprehensive Operational Analysis.
Various activities were conducted countywide to comply with the federal requirement that the COORDINATED PLAN be developed and approved through a process that included participation by seniors and individuals with disabilities, representatives of public, private, and nonprofit transportation and human service providers, and other members of the public. Among these activities are the following:
• Transit Network consisting of 325 stakeholder agencies’ contact information (either physical addresses or email addresses) was used to help distribute and promote public and agency participation opportunities. • Agency input about transit needs conducted via the annual Transit Network Update Process, with 95 agencies providing comments about their client’s mobility needs. • Six consumer and stakeholder workshops held across San Bernardino County involving over 75 agency and organization representatives and members of the public. The workshops
5 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 were widely noticed by email blasts to the Transit Network Database and telephone recruitment to ensure representation by all of the Target Populations. • Written comments accepted through the COORDINATED PLAN project website. The website was promoted at all workshop events and through email blasts to the Network listing. • COORDINATED PLAN prioritization workshops, one held in Morongo Basin and the other in San Bernardino, involving 32 agency representatives and participants. • Analysis of target group population demographics, trip demand projections through 2019, review of regional planning documents and input from the public outreach to identify findings regarding mobility needs and gaps. • Constructed framework of 5 goals and 32 priority strategies for implementation to address identified needs and gaps. • ADA accessible facilities were selected for all meetings, ensuring they were transit accessible. • Spanish translation was made available at all public participation opportunities. • Opportunity for simultaneous translation was provided for additional languages and special ADA accommodations were available upon request at least 72 hours in advance of any scheduled meeting or hearing.
6 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 2.0 CONTEXT: PEOPLE AND PLACES
2.1 Geography
San Bernardino can be separated into several distinct subregions. These subregions are listed below with cities and towns that are located in each subregion:
Barstow subregion – located in the middle of San Bernardino County, north of the Victor Valley along I-15 is the Barstow subregion, which includes the City of Barstow and Town of Yermo. Morongo Basin subregion – located in the southeastern portion of the County is the Morongo Basin subregion and the northern end of Joshua Tree National Park. This subregion includes the cities Twentynine Palms and Yucca Valley. Mountain subregion – the Mountain subregion describes the cities and towns along the San Bernardino Mountains just north of the San Bernardino Valley and east of Los Angeles County. This subregion includes the City of Big Bear Lake and communities of Crestline, Lake Arrowhead, Running Springs, and Wrightwood. Needles subregion – the Needles subregion includes the City of Needles at the California and Arizona border. San Bernardino Valley subregion – the Valley area is the urban portion of San Bernardino County bordering the Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside Counties. Located in the Valley are the cities of Chino, Chino Hills, Colton, Fontana, Grand Terrace, Highland, Loma Linda, Montclair, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, Redlands, Rialto, San Bernardino, Upland, and Yucaipa; Victor Valley subregion – the Victor Valley subregion lies just north of the San Bernardino Mountains in the high-desert area. In this subregion are the cities of Adelanto, Apple Valley, Hesperia, and Victorville as well as the community of Lucerne Valley. The following sections illustrate the distribution of Target Populations in each of the different subregions. The Victor Valley subregion discussion and maps also include the Barstow and Needles subregions. Data retrieved for the Target Populations are from the American Community Survey (ACS) and presented at the Census block group level.
Morongo Basin Subregion
Persons with Disabilities As illustrated in Figure 1, block groups with a high concentration of persons with disabilities are located along SR-62 in Yucca Valley and Joshua Tree. In Yucca Valley, 35.2% of individuals living
7 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 in the center of the City report having a disability. Agencies such as the Department of Aging and Adult Services are located in this area allowing convenient access for those living in Yucca Valley. In Joshua Tree, one particular area reports that 57.2% of the population live with a disability. Healthcare services such as the Hi-Desert Medical Center and the Hi-Desert Continuing Care Center are located in this area, which can be the reason for a large concentration of persons with disabilities in this area. Block groups that cover large areas of land such as in Rimrock, Pioneer Town, and Landers report as much as 25.7% of the population age 16 to 64 live with a disability.
Low Income Population Figure 2 depicts the distribution of individuals living below the poverty line at the block group level. Several block group areas with a high percentage of people that live below the 150% of the poverty level are located along SR-62. Large block groups that cover areas such as Landers and Sunfair Heights, account for a large percentage of individuals living in poverty with 49.1% and 59.8% of the population respectively. In addition, at the border of San Bernardino and Riverside Counties, Morongo Valley contains a concentration of persons living with low-income (53.1%). Block groups in the more relatively populated areas of Yucca Valley and Joshua Tree also have a high concentration of low-income individuals (49.5%% and 48.2% respectively). Mobile home parks and apartment units are located along SR-62 while single-family housing units are spread throughout the area. In addition, a number of social service organizations are located along SR-62, which provides convenient access for persons that need it most.
No Vehicle Having a vehicle in the Morongo Basin is almost a necessity as people living in residential areas of Landers, Desert Heights, and Sunfair Heights need to travel to SR-62 to access services and opportunities along this major thoroughfare. Figure 3 shows that many households in the Morongo Basin have access to a personal vehicle. Areas with a high percentage of households without a personal vehicle live near SR-62. One block group in the center of Yucca Valley reports that 18.5% of households in the area do not have access to a personal vehicle. On the other end of the Morongo Basin in Twentynine Palms, 22.6% of households report no access to a personal vehicle. Living along SR-62 allows individuals to access alternative modes of transportation such as services provided by MBTA.
Older Adults Similar to other target populations, areas reporting a higher concentration of seniors appear to be located along SR-62 in Yucca Valley. One area with a high concentration of seniors is in the center of Yucca Valley where 45.3% of the population are seniors. In addition, a residential area at the west end of the City just north of SR-62 reports that 38.0% of the population are
8 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 seniors. A number of senior facilities are located in Yucca Valley including the Department of Aging and Adult Services and the Yucca Valley Senior Center. East of Twentynine Palms in the sparsely populated portions of unincorporated San Bernardino County is an area where 37.3% of the population are seniors. Residential homes are spread throughout this large area making it a challenge to provide services in these outlying areas. These populations are illustrated in Figure 4.
Figure 1, Morongo Basin Subregion – Persons with Disabilities
9 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 Figure 2, Morongo Basin Subregion – Low Income Population
Figure 3, Morongo Basin Subregion – Households without a Vehicle
10 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 Figure 4, Morongo Basin Subregion – Senior Population
11 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 Mountain Subregion
Persons with Disabilities Figure 5 presents areas in the Mountain area subregion that have a high percentage of persons living with a disability. In block groups around the unincorporated area of Lake Arrowhead, 31.4% of the population live with a disability. In addition, the southeastern portion of the City of Big Bear Lake reports that 34.4% of the population lives with a disability.
Low Income Population Areas with a high percentage of persons living below the poverty line are few in the Mountain area subregion. Figure 6 shows that 63.3% of the population northeast of Lake Gregory live below the poverty line. In addition, 47.8% of the population in the Green Valley Lake area also live in poverty. Both these areas are characterized by lower density single family homes. Finally, 52.7% of the population living south of Big Bear Lake live below the poverty level. Within this area of Big Bear is the Mountain Meadows Senior Apartment complex, one of the few multi-unit residential buildings in the Mountain area that does not cater to tourism.
No Vehicle Only a few block groups in the Mountain area subregion report a high percentage of households without access to a personal vehicle. As presented in Figure 7, the community of Crestline reports that 28.9% of households do not have access to a personal vehicle. In addition, 19.3% of households around Green Valley Lake reported no access to a personal vehicle. It is important to note that this block group also reported having a large percentage of persons living below the poverty line as indicated in the previous section. Finally, 17.8% of households located in Sugarloaf in the unincorporated area east of Big Bear Lake report no access to a personal vehicle.
Older Adults As depicted in Figure 8, a large portion of seniors live in the unincorporated areas stretching north of SR-18 between Green Valley Lake and Fawnskin. Roughly 40.9% of the population living in residential areas just north of SR-18 are seniors. In addition, the unincorporated area east of the City of Big Bear Lake reports that 35.8% of the population are seniors. Located in the City of Big Bear Lake is the Mountain Meadows Senior Apartment complex, which accounts for 38.1% of the population in the block group just south of the lake (see Figure 8). Finally, residential areas south of Lake Arrowhead account for relatively high percentage of seniors living in residential areas south of the lake (36.9% of the population).
12 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 Figure 5, Mountain Subregion – Persons with Disabilities
Figure 6, Mountain Subregion – Low Income Population
13 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 Figure 7, Mountain Subregion – Households Without a Vehicle
Figure 8, Mountain Subregion – Senior Population
14 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 San Bernardino Valley
Persons with Disabilities Areas with high concentrations of persons living with a disability are located throughout the San Bernardino Valley area, especially in the cities of San Bernardino and Highland. Areas near downtown San Bernardino and block groups near the Department of State Hospitals-Patton have a relatively high percentage of persons living with a disability. One block group near the State Hospital reports that 68.8% of the population lives with a disability.
Within the West Valley area, areas in the City of Chino have a relatively high percentage of persons living with disabilities. Areas near the California Institution for Women, California Institution for Men, and the Youth Correctional Facility report a high number of persons living with a disability (between 23.7% and 23.9%). In addition, residential areas in the cities of Montclair and Upland also report a high percentage of persons living with a disability (Figure 9).
Low Income Populations Figure 10 illustrates the concentration of people living below the poverty line in the San Bernardino Valley. Areas across the East Valley, in the cities of San Bernardino, Rialto, Colton and Fontana, have a number of block groups in which more than 63% of the population lives in poverty. Further east, in the City of Yucaipa, a block group at the border of the County Line reports that 68.1% of the population lives in poverty. Throughout the East Valley are services that cater to low-income populations, including the Housing Authority of The County of San Bernardino, San Bernardino County Transitional Assistance Department, and the U.S. Social Security Administration. In comparison, there are fewer block groups in the West Valley that report a high percentage of persons living below the poverty line. Block groups near SR-83 (Euclid Boulevard) in the City of Ontario as well as areas near Ontario Airport have a higher percentage (ranging between 65% to 85.7%) of persons living below the poverty line.
No Vehicle Households Areas where households report no access to a personal vehicle are concentrated in the City of San Bernardino where a large portion of the population lives in poverty. However, other portions of the East Valley such as Rialto and Fontana have a lower percentage of households without access to a personal vehicle as illustrated in Figure 11. Fewer households in the West Valley also report no access to a personal vehicle. Block groups in the West Valley with a relatively higher percentage of households without access to a vehicle are spread throughout the cities of Montclair and Upland where anywhere from 18.5% to 27.4% of households of a given block group do not have access to a personal vehicle.
15 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 Older Adults Figure 12 shows the distribution of seniors living in San Bernardino Valley subregion. As illustrated, the senior population tends to live in East Valley in the cities of Loma Linda, Redlands, and Yucaipa. With the Loma Linda Senior Center, Joslyn Senior Center in Redlands, Redlands Senior Nutrition Center, as well as a number of assisted living facilities, this area of the Valley provides a convenient location for seniors to live. One block group in Loma Linda reports that 38.4% of the population is age 65 or older. The City of Yucaipa also provides quality services to seniors living in the City, where one block group reports that 25.5% of the population are over the age of 65. Finally, it is important to note that one particular block group in the City of San Bernardino just east of I-215 reports that 49.7% of the population are seniors.
In the West Valley, higher concentrations of seniors live in the cities of Chino and Upland. Senior housing is readily available throughout the City of Upland. Areas north of I-210 have a high concentration of seniors, 36.3% of the population, due to senior housing communities such as Gracious Living, an Assisted Living Facility in the City of Upland, and Oakmont in the unincorporated area of San Antonio Heights. Located in the downtown area of Chino are the Chino Senior Center and the Seasons Senior Apartments; in this city center area, 22.8% of the population are seniors. Living in the downtown area allows seniors to have access to convenient transportation services in this part of the San Bernardino Valley. .
16 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 Figure 9, San Bernardino Valley Subregion – Persons with Disabilities
17 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 Figure 10, San Bernardino Valley Subregion – Low Income Population
18 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 Figure 11, San Bernardino Valley Subregion – Households Without a Vehicle
19 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 Figure 12, San Bernardino Valley Subregion – Senior Population
20 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020
Victor Valley, Barstow, and Needles Subregions
Persons with Disabilities Figure 13 shows the percentage of disabled individuals relative to population for both the Victor Valley and Colorado River areas. In the City of Victorville, 38.3% of the population reports living with a disability. Both the St. Mary Medical Center and Valley Crest Memory Care assisted living facility are located in the area along I-15. Areas in the unincorporated portion of the northwestern of Victor Valley also report a high percentage of the population living with a disability. These areas are characterized as low density, rural areas located far from city services.
In the Barstow subregion, 28.4% of individuals in the City of Barstow lives with a disability. Organizations such as B.E.S.T Opportunities, an organization that provide services and opportunities for developmentally disabled adults, are located within the City. Another area reporting a high percentage of individuals living with a disability is in the unincorporated areas south of the City. Twenty-seven percent of individuals living in the unincorporated area report having with a disability.
Persons that live with a disability in the City of Needles account for 15.0% of the population. However, rural areas surrounding the City report a higher percentage of individuals living with a disability.
Low Income Population When examining the distribution of low-income populations in the Victor Valley (Figure 14), several block groups show a high proportion (63% to 99%) of individuals living below the poverty level. For example one part of northern end of Adelanto reports as much of 86% of the population living in poverty, while other block groups in this area report between 67 and 80% living in poverty. Residential areas in the Valley High North part of the City of Victorville contain a large percentage of individuals living in poverty (77.7% of the population). Residential areas in the central portions of Apple Valley located south of Yucca Loma Road between Navajo Road and Central Road report 70.1% of the population living below the poverty level.
Looking at the Barstow subregion, 69.8% of residents living north of I-15 in the City of Barstow live below the poverty line. This area contains a number of single-family and multi-family housing units near the BNSF’s classification yard where heavy rail operations take place.
A small block group west of I-40 in the City of Needles contains a large share of individuals (48.7% of the population) living below the poverty level. Located in this area is the U.S. Social Security Administration building, as well as multi-family housing units such as the Riverview Terrace Apartments and the Desert Vista Mobile Home Park.
21 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 No Vehicle Only a small percentage of households in the Victor Valley have no access to a personal vehicle. Figure 15 illustrates the distribution of households without access to a personal vehicle. Areas with a significantly high percentage of households without access to a personal vehicle include a sparsely populated area in the City of Adelanto. Thirty-one percent of households in the residential areas located along Chamberlaine Way on either side of U.S. 395 report having no access to a personal vehicle. Another area with a high concentration of households without a vehicle is in Victorville southwest of Seneca Road and Rodeo Drive where 30.0% of households do not have access to a personal vehicle. This area contains a number of apartment units.
Areas in the northern portion of the City of Barstow contain a large number of households without access to a personal vehicle. As noted in the Low-Income section, this particular area of Barstow also contains a large number of individuals that live below the poverty line. Two block groups are located in Barstow and report that 40.4% and 29.5% of households in the respective area does not have access to a personal vehicle.
The percentage of households without access to a personal vehicle in the City of Needles and the surrounding Colorado River area does not exceed 17%. In fact, one particular area that reported a high percentage of persons living in poverty (49% to 62% of the population) reports a relatively smaller percentage of households without a vehicle (5.4%) when compared with the surrounding area.
Older Adults Figure 16 presents the distribution of seniors living in the Victor Valley, Barstow, and Needles subregions. One particular area to note in the Victor Valley is the Jess Ranch community in Apple Valley. Compared to other areas in the subregion, the senior population accounts for 67.8% of the population. Jess Ranch is a gated community catering to adults over the age of 55 providing both single-family and multi-family living units on the property. In addition, the High Desert Haven retirement home is located near the border of Apple Valley and Victorville accounting for the high concentration of seniors living near the Happy Trails Highway.
The percentage of older adults in the City of Barstow does not exceed 18.5% at the block group level. In fact, the percentage of older adults in the northern portion of the City does not exceed 6%, indicating that not many seniors live in this area.
Seniors account for 26.0% of the population in the City of Needles, just east of I-40 near the Colorado River. Located in this area is the Needles Marina RV Park and several mobile home parks providing affordable housing options for seniors living in the City.
22 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 Figure 13, Victor Valley, Barstow, and Needles Subregions – Persons with Disabilities
23 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 Figure 14, Victor Valley, Barstow, and Needles Subregions – Low Income Population
24 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 Figure 15, Victor Valley, Barstow, and Needles Subregions – Households Without a Vehicle
25 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 Figure 16, Victor Valley, Barstow, and Needles Subregions – Senior Population
26 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020
2.2 Demographics
Federal regulations stipulate that the Coordination Plan examine populations that have a propensity to use public transportation. These Target Populations include older adults, persons with disabilities, and persons of low-income. This plan also includes an examination of the Veteran population as a group that can benefit from improved public transportation services.
Figure 17 and Table 1 at the end of this subsection illustrate population changes that occurred within San Bernardino County between the 2000 Census and the 2010-2014 American Community Survey, 5-year estimates (2014 ACS) time frames. Since 2000, San Bernardino County’s population increased by more than 369,000 people, a 21.6% increase. One interesting aspect of San Bernardino County’s population when comparing the two Census periods is that the population is aging. In the 2000 Census, children accounted for 32.2% of the overall population while adults and seniors made up 59.3% and 8.5% of the overall population respectively. As of the 2014 ACS, the percentage of children dropped to 28.1% while adults increased to 62.3% of the population and seniors increased to 9.6%.
Low-Income The number of adults living in poverty increased between the two Census years. The 2000 Census reports that 13.6% of adults between 18 and 64, or more than 137,800 individuals, lived in poverty. By 2014, the low-income adult population between 18 and 64 grew to more than 215,500 individuals, or 16.7% of this population, a 56.3% increase during the two reporting years.
Unfortunately, the percentage of children and youth age 17 and below living in poverty is much higher. More than 151,000 of the 584,000 children, or 25.9% of youth, live in poverty.
Persons with Disabilities Due to changes in the methodology of surveying persons with disabilities between the 2000 Census and the 2014 ACS, it is difficult to ascertain the growth in this population. However, the survey methodology allows for a better understanding of physical, mental, or emotional difficulties that people live with in the San Bernardino County. Under the ACS, disabilities are categorized under six disability types:
• Hearing difficulty – deaf or having serious difficulty hearing; • Vision difficulty – blind or having serious difficulty seeing, even when wearing glasses; • Cognitive difficulty – because of a physical, mental, or emotional problem, having difficulty remembering, concentrating, or making decisions; • Ambulatory difficulty – having serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs;
27 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 • Self-care difficulty – having difficulty bathing or dressing; • Independent living difficulty – because of a physical, mental, or emotional problem, having difficulty doing errands alone such as visiting a doctor’s office or shopping.
Adults age 18 to 64 that reported any one of these difficulties accounted for 5.8% of the total population. Most individuals reported an ambulatory difficulty (2.9% of the total County population) while persons with a cognitive difficulty were the second highest (2.4%). Seniors age 65 and over that reported having a disability mostly had an ambulatory difficulty (2.6% of the total population) followed by an independent living difficulty (1.9%).
The 2014 ACS also provides information on children age 5 to 17 with a disability. As illustrated in Table 1, more than 19,000 or 3.3% of children age 5 to 17 report living with a disability.
Seniors As indicated above, seniors age 65 and over now make up 9.6% of San Bernardino County’s total population. Between 2000 and 2014, the senior population grew by 54,000 individuals, an increase of 37.3%. The number of low income seniors also increased, by more than 10,500, an 89.6% increase between 2000 and 2014. According to the 2014 ACS, seniors living with a disability account for 3.8% of the overall County population. Most seniors, 53,995 individuals, report living with an ambulatory difficulty, such as walking or climbing stairs, followed by seniors reporting an independent living difficulty (38,948 seniors), indicating they have difficulty doing errands due to a physical, mental, or emotional issue.
Veterans The Veteran population represents a group that can benefit from the provision of improved public transportation services. With troops returning home from recent conflicts abroad, as well as aging Veterans from conflicts in the 20th century, the need for improved transportation services for veterans should be considered as the demand for employment and medical services increase. Approximately 4.9% of people in San Bernardino County report veteran status. Vietnam era veterans represent the largest group at 36.8% of the veteran population followed by Gulf War veterans (1990 to 2001) at 17.0%. Gulf War veterans after 2001 constitute 13.9% of the veteran population. Veterans age 65 and over represent the largest age group, with 40.1% of the Veteran population. In 2014, the unemployment rate of veterans was 10.9%. Moreover, 9.1% of veterans reported that they lived in poverty during that census year, which is slightly lower than the County percentage of adults age 18 to 65 living in poverty, 10.4%.
28 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020
Figure 17, San Bernardino County Target Population – Changes Over Two Time Periods
29 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 Table 1, San Bernardino County Coordinated Plan – Target Populations
30 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 2.3 Employment
The availability of employment plays a vital role in improving the living conditions for San Bernardino County residents. However, the labor industry has not recovered since the 2008 recession. According the Southern California Association of Government’s (SCAG) local profile for San Bernardino County, the total number of jobs decreased by 5.1% between 2007 and 2013. According to the same data set, jobs in manufacturing and construction have decreased significantly between 2007 and 2013. Retail jobs have recovered slowly since the recession, increasing gradually since 2011. Jobs in the professional and management sector dropped significantly in 2009 after the recession and have fluctuated since then. When comparing the proportion of jobs by sectors, between 2007 and 2013, the proportion of employment in education, transportation, and leisure increased while employment in the professional, finance, information, retail, wholesale, manufacturing, agriculture, and construction decreased.
Average salaries for those working in San Bernardino County experienced an increase over a ten-year period. According to the California Employment Development Department, the average salary increased from $32,954 in 2003 to $39,616 in 2013, a 20.2% increase. However, it should be noted that average salaries dropped by 4.1% between 2011 and 2013.
31 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 3.0 CONTEXT: REGIONAL PLANS AND STUDIES
3.1 Region-Wide Plan - SCAG
The 2016-2040 REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN/SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES STRATEGY (RTP/SCS) is a federal mandated transportation plan that provides the framework for transportation projects in the six-county Southern California region. The regional vision, presented as part of the RTP/SCS, is a desire for more compact communities connected by “numerous public transit options, including bus and rail service.” Moreover, the region’s vision is to provide “more choices for getting around” which can lead to a higher quality of life. Broad-based goals and policies are established to develop transportation scenarios that improve mobility and reduce greenhouse gas emissions with a limited amount of transportation revenue. Development of the plan includes extensive input from the county transportation commissions, stakeholders, and the public. The RTP/SCS acknowledges that the goals and policies presented are consistent with county planning efforts including the efforts identified in the Coordinated Public Transit- Human Services Transportation Plans for the six individual counties in Southern California. Major initiatives of the RTP/SCS include “expanding [the] regional transit system to give people more alternatives to driving alone” and “focusing new growth around transit” meaning that the development of “complete” communities should be developed around high quality transit areas, livable corridors, and neighborhood mobility areas.
3.2 San Bernardino County Level Plans
Both SBCTA and transit operators in San Bernardino County draft short-term and long-range plans to address the need for improved public transportation services in the region. Due to the subregional characteristics, the needs of the more populated San Bernardino Valley can differ from the needs of rural areas such as the Morongo Basin. All plans, however, promote the same ideals in addressing the need to ensure that all residents have efficient public transportation services to travel to work, school, shopping, and medical appointments.
Many of the plans slightly reference the work contained in the PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN. The findings of the COORDINATED PLAN do support the goals and objectives of other planning documents. The following summaries provide a brief description of the planning efforts of both transit agencies and regional planning agencies as they find ways to improve the transportation network in San Bernardino County.
32 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 SBCTA’s Countywide Transportation Plan (September 2015) The COUNTYWIDE TRANSPORTATION PLAN (CTP) provides a list of strategies for long-term investment and management of all transportation assets in the County. Improved coordination and system integration between transportation modes is a theme presented throughout the CTP. Examples include first mile and last mile connections to transit, coordination between demand response providers and non-profit entities, and an integrated, customer-focused approach to the provision of transit services.
Two distinct scenarios are derived from funding forecasts. First, the Baseline Scenario identifies projects that can be funded through traditional local, Measure I, State, and Federal revenue sources up to 2040. The second scenario is the Aggressive Scenario, which is derived from “innovative revenue sources” that is based from SCAG’s previous 2012 – 2035 REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN/SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES STRATEGY (RTP/SCS).
The CTP identifies the challenges that fixed-route public transit and demand-response service face in the different sub-regions of San Bernardino County (i.e. Valley area and Mountain/Desert areas combined). Generally, the challenge for fixed-route bus service is the ability to sustainably fund the operation of the transit system. The challenge that demand- response service faces is that it “is the highest cost form of transit, but important in serving certain senior and disabled transit riders.” The CTP recommends studying the future of transit operation funds and that SBCTA and transit operators find solutions to operate the system. Additionally, strategies for demand-response service include the continuation of programs that move riders using demand response service to the traditional fixed-route system. The CTP also recognizes that coordination with non-profit entities and maintaining demand-response service is a strategy towards addressing the challenges of this particular mode.
SBCTA’s Long Range Plan (October 2009) DRAFT The SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY LONG RANGE TRANSIT PLAN (LRTP) provides public transit system improvements throughout region. According to the LRTP, SBCTA estimates that by 2035, population will grow by 36%, households will increase by 42%, jobs will grow by 77%, and travel trips will rise by 53%. The LRTP presents transit improvement strategies designed to alleviate the burden on highways and arterials. Because of the size of the county, recommendations are provided for the San Bernardino Valley, Victor Valley, and rural transit operators.
The LRTP acknowledges that it is an integral part of the regional planning process. Of the number of plans listed, the LRTP acknowledges the 2007 PUBLIC TRANSIT-HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN as a short-term plan that “identifies mobility needs for five remote areas of the County and recommended strategies and priorities to help improve access to human necessities.” Per the LRTP, the strategies identified provide short-term service
33 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 improvements for rural areas such as Barstow City, Big Bear Lake City, Needles City, Twentynine Palms City, and Yucca Valley town. The LRTP continues to state that an upcoming Rural Connectivity Study would further address challenges of geographic isolation and it is the hope of the LRTP to maintain existing service levels and funding sources over the next 25 years.
The LRTP recognizes that short-term improvements for the Victor Valley are included in the 2007 COORDINATION PLAN. The LRTP’s preferred alternative for the Victor Valley includes route restructuring of key routes to improve service efficiency. Due to restructuring, cost savings can be utilized for short-term system improvements identified in the 2007 COORDINATION PLAN.
VVTA Comprehensive Operational Analysis and Short Range Transit Plan (May 2013) DRAFT The VICTOR VALLEY TRANSIT AUTHORITY’S COMPREHENSIVE OPERATIONAL ANALYSIS (COA) and SHORT RANGE TRANSIT PLAN (SRTP) provide both immediate system improvements and broad themes that can be later utilized as future system improvements. The COA/SRTP was a coordinated effort to identify service issues, analyze service needs and potential opportunities, develop a set of performance guidelines, and project funding levels that can assist in improved service provisions. Service recommendations are provided for several routes to improve service delivery and optimize resources. In addition, fare adjustments were proposed for 2015 and 2019 to respond to the increase in service costs. One of the more important capital improvements included in the plan is a Mobility Management component that is intended to assist human service transportation providers in an effort to reduce ADA trip costs. The Mobility Management component also includes travel training with the goal of further reducing ADA expenses.
In August 15, 2016, the Board of Directors received a presentation regarding the update of the COA/SRTP. The presentation reported on system improvements that have occurred since the previous COA/SRTP. These include the addition of two new JPA members, VVTA designated as the CTSA, and several service changes that include new routes, the inclusion of Barstow routes as part of the VVTA services, Sunday service, Saturday service on B-V Link, and improved services on several existing routes. The plan will be developed through the course of the year with an opportunity for the public to provide input and comment on the proposed plan before approval by the Board of Directors.
MBTA Focused Short Range Transit Plan (August 2016) DRAFT The Morongo Basin Transit Authority (MBTA) SHORT RANGE TRANSIT PLAN provides recommendations and actions that improve the provision of transit services over a period of five years. In addition, the SRTP included a fare analysis that examined the impacts of the July 1, 2014 fare increase. Based on the analysis, the fare increase was able to achieve the
34 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 objectives set forth by the agency prior to implementation of the fare increase. Many of the service recommendations revolve around the new Joshua Tree National Park transit service that will begin on November 4, 2016. Service improvements to Copper Mountain College are also included in FY 2016-17 in an attempt to increase college enrollment and boast transit ridership.
As part of the SRTP, a summary of Needs and Opportunities for the outlying areas such as Johnson Valley, Landers, Pioneer Town, and Wonder Valley. The provision of transit services varies within these different areas, and there is a need for those living in outlying areas to travel to destinations within the Morongo Basin and throughout other parts of the region. Lifeline service recommendations identified in the SRTP include providing direct service to Pioneer Town and Johnson Valley, acquiring 5310 funding to provide Transportation Reimbursement Escort Program (TREP) service in the Morongo Basin, and formalizing the mobility management function of the agency to further expand options for those living in the region
3.3 Other Studies - Metrolink
Metrolink 2015 Origin-Destination Study The Southern California Regional Rail Authority commissioned the 2015 ONBOARD SURVEY to obtain a current assessment of passenger demographic profiles, rider segments, trip characteristics, customer satisfaction, access and egress modes, and average transit trip distances. The 2015 study expands and updates the collected survey results from previous onboard surveys conducted in 2008 and 2010.
The 2015 ONBOARD SURVEY was designed to yield empirically valid trip characteristics, customer satisfaction, and demographic data at a system, line, and time-segment level, whose ridership is proportionately reflected at the boarding station level. In addition, the sampling plan and project designs provide identification of major origin-destination travel patterns at the line level for the purpose of regional transportation modeling needs. Findings specific to the San Bernardino Line follow:
Demographics of San Bernardino Line Riders The San Bernardino Line serves a substantial portion of the Metrolink system’s ridership. Twenty-one (21) percent of riders live in San Bernardino County. Across the system, ethnicity varies significantly by line. The San Bernardino Line has the highest proportion of Hispanic riders at 38 percent of riders.
Median income varies significantly by line. The San Bernardino Line has the second lowest median household income at $66,614.
35 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 Seventy-three (73) percent of San Bernardino Line riders have a vehicle available, the second lowest percentage among all lines.
San Bernardino Line Riders were asked to report on their employment: • 66% work full-time • 17% are students • 7% are not employed/retired • 6% are self-employed • 4% are part-time workers Full time employment, as reported by San Bernardino Line riders, dropped 13 percent since the 2008 study.
Trip Patterns and Purposes The average trip length for San Bernardino Line riders is 34.6 miles, below the system wide average of 37.1.
Work-related trips for the San Bernardino line have decreased from 83 percent to 70 percent. System wide, the proportion or riders that are full-time workers continues a downward trend from a high of 90 percent in 2000, to 84 percent in 2008, 78 percent in 2010, and 74 percent in 2015.
San Bernardino Line has one of the lowest mean days travelled per week. Fifty-five (55) percent of San Bernardino Line Riders use the service 5 or more days per week, a decrease from 67 percent in the 2008 Metrolink Onboard Study.
Fare Media Systemwide, the distribution of Metrolink fare media varies significantly with age, ethnicity and income. Use of monthly passes is lower for those under 30 and 65 or older. Asian/Pacific Islanders and Caucasians are more likely to use monthly passes than Hispanics and African Americans, and those with incomes of $50,000 or more are more than twice as likely as those with lower incomes to use a monthly pass.
On the San Bernardino Line, one-way and round-trip tickets are used by 41 percent of riders. Forty-six (46) percent of riders use the monthly pass and 10 percent use a 7-day pass.
Travel Options Of note to this 2015 ON-BOARD STUDY, riders were asked to provide their transportation mode before using Metrolink to make their current trip. For the San Bernardino Line:
• 50% drove alone • 19% reported they’d always taken Metrolink
36 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 • 13% drove with someone • 12% took a bus or subway • 5% reported an unknown other Riders were also asked how they would make their trip if the specific Metrolink train they were on did not exist. Six (6) percent of San Bernardino Line riders wouldn’t make the trip and 40 percent report they would switch to a personal car.
Discussion of San Bernardino Valley Implications of Metrolink Study This 2015 ON-BOARD study underscores that Metrolink is a critical resource for multiple markets. The San Bernardino Line in particular is serving a significant group of low-income and minority workers who are likely to use one-way and round-trip tickets. This points to individuals that may come from unbanked, cash-based households. The San Bernardino Line riders are also highly dependent on Metrolink for their travel and are using it in place of a personal vehicle.
37 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 4.0 ASSESSMENT OF AVAILABLE TRANSPORTATION
4.1 Inventory
Public Transportation San Bernardino County’s public transit network is inclusive of regional rail, fixed-route bus, and demand response dial-a-ride providers. These public systems are supplemented by specialized transportation providers that help to fill gaps and meet the hard to serve mobility needs of the county’s residents. This section summarizes these services, explores recent funding opportunities and measures the level of service provided. A more detailed matrix of service characteristics is included as Appendix A.
Omnitrans Omnitrans provides safe, reliable, affordable, friendly and environmentally responsible public transportation in the San Bernardino Valley. Omnitrans is a Joint Powers Authority (JPA) formed in 1976 which includes the County of San Bernardino and the 15 member cities.
Fixed Route Omnitrans currently operates 32 fixed routes with service frequency ranging from every 10 minutes on its bus rapid transit Green Line/sbX to between every 15 minutes and every 70 minutes on other lines. Most of Omnitrans’ routes operate seven-days per week with weekday service operating from 3:33 am to 11:13 pm. Omnitrans delivers more than 14 million passenger trips annually across its many services.
Omnitrans’ family of fixed route services includes local fixed route, express fixed route, bus rapid transit (BRT), community circulators, and high frequency routes.
Access Omnitrans Access is the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) complementary paratransit demand response service, that operates within ¾ miles of the existing fixed-route bus network. The Access service operates within the same days and hours of the fixed-route service in any given area. Reservations can be made up to seven days in advance but no less than the day before the scheduled trip. Access ADA Service fares are based on the distance of the trip and how many zones that distance covers. Access service is available outside the ¾ mile boundary
38 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 but still within the city limits of the 15 cities that comprise the Omnitrans service area, for a $5.00 surcharge. Trips must originate or end within the ADA service area.
Special Transit Services As the newly organized Consolidated Transportation Services Agency (CTSA) for the San Bernardino Valley, Omnitrans administers three specialized transit services to address transportation needs that are difficult to meet with traditional public transit. The Travel Training program works with seniors and persons with disabilities by providing information and one-to-one and group training on how to navigate riding the bus. The Volunteer Driver program also known as the Transportation Reimbursement Escort Program (TREP), provides a per mile reimbursement for persons with disabilities and seniors that are not able to use public transit. Participants choose their own drivers that are able to provide the trip and be reimbursed at a per mile reimbursement rate. The RIDE Taxi and Lyft program provides a taxi cab ride at a discounted rate for qualified riders or discounted credits for trips provided through the Lyft smartphone app.
Victor Valley Transportation Authority VVTA provides local fixed routes, local deviated routes and county routes that are longer in distance and serve unincorporated areas surrounding the fixed route service area. VVTA is also the ADA paratransit operator for the Victor Valley as well as the CTSA and vanpool administrator for its region. VVTA delivers more than 2.7 million trips across its various service modes.
B-V Link The B-V Link service is a commuter route that connects the city of Barstow with Victorville and Apple Valley, then continues “down-the-hill” into the San Bernardino Valley to medical centers and government buildings. The B-V Link service operates weekdays from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm depending on origin and destination. The B-V Link fare costs $6.00 for travel between Barstow and Victorville and an additional $6.00 for travel between Victorville and San Bernardino. The fare is cut in half for seniors, persons with disabilities and veterans.
NTC Commuter VVTA provides a commuter service that is intended for those who work at the Fort Irwin National Training Center (NTC) that wish to travel between the training center and Barstow, Helendale or Victorville. Morning routes bring passenger in to Fort Irwin while afternoon service returns commuters back to the served communities. The regular cash fare for this service is $12.00. Commuters can also purchase a MEGA monthly pass, intended for non- Department of Defense employees for $175.00 or pay $87.50 for seniors, persons with disabilities and Medicare cardholders. Military personnel can purchase a monthly pass for $255.
39 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 NeedlesLink As part of VVTA’s mission as the CTSA for the northern rural areas of San Bernardino County, a link has been established between the Victor Valley and the City of Needles. Service begins from Needles to Barstow and Victorville in the morning every Friday. The return trip from Victorville to Needles begins in the afternoon. The regular fare is $12.00 for adults and $6.00 for seniors, persons with disabilities and veterans.
Direct Access To satisfy the Americans with Disabilities Act requirement to provide comparable public transit for persons with disabilities, VVTA offers comprehensive curb-to-curb service within the ¾ mile footprint of the fixed-route service, during the same days and hours. Riders can travel beyond the ¾ mile boundary at an additional cost. Direct Access fares are based on zone rates and are calculated depending on the distance traveled. These zones range from $2.50 to $6.00.
Mountain Transit Mountain Transit is the public transit provider for the county’s mountain areas between Big Bear and Crestline. Mountain Transit currently operates 7 fixed- routes throughout the mountain communities and dial-a-ride service that is open to the general public, seniors and persons with disabilities.
Off-the-Mountain Connections from the mountain communities to the San Bernardino Valley are possible on two Off-The-Mountain (OTM) routes: Crestline OTM serving the west side of the mountains; and Big Bear OTM for the east side of the mountains. The Crestline OTM offers four runs down to the valley and four runs back to the mountains beginning at 5:25 am, arriving at the first of many San Bernardino locations by 6:00 am. The Big Bear OTM begins at 6:30 am arriving at its first San Bernardino stop at 7:30 am. In total, 3 trips are made in each direction each day.
Dial-A-Ride Mountain Transit’s dial-a-ride program is a curb-to-curb service for those unable to use fixed- route. Dial-a-Ride operates within ¾ of a mile from the fixed-route service and is open to the general public and to persons 60 years of age or older and persons with disabilities who live within the service area at half price. Trip reservations must be made at least one day in advance. The Big Bear dial-a-ride operates between 5:30 am and 10:30 pm Monday through Saturday and 6:30 am to 10:30 pm on Sunday. The fare for service within the ¾ mile boundary is $5.00 and beyond ¾ miles is $7.50. The RIM dial-a-ride operates at different times depending on the area of service. RIM fares vary from $4.00 to $10.00 depending on the area served.
40 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 Morongo Basin Transit Authority The Morongo Basin Transit Authority is the public transit provider for the Morongo Basin region of San Bernardino County.
Fixed-route bus Deviated fixed-route services include local shuttles and highway intercity routes, including service to the 29 Palms Marine Base, Copper Mountain College and in to Palm Springs where SunLine Transit in Riverside County hosts MBTA Routes 12 and 15 through a cooperative service agreement. The one-way general public fare on local bus routes is $1.25 or $2.50 for highway routes. These are discounted for persons with disabilities and seniors. Service is available between the hours of 6:00 am to 10:00 pm on weekdays, 7:15 am to 10:00 pm on Saturdays and 9:00 am to 6:00 pm on Sundays.
Ready Ride While MBTA fixed-route buses will deviate up ¾ mile from the existing route to pick-up and drop-off passengers, the Ready Ride service provides curb-to-curb transportation in Yucca Valley, Morongo Valley, Joshua Tree, Twentynine Palms and Wonder Valley. The Ready Ride fare is $5.00 for the general public and $2.50 for seniors and disabled. The senior and disabled fare can be further reduced by purchasing 10 or 20 ride punch passes. The span of service is generally from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm on weekdays.
City of Needles The City of Needles operates the Needles Area Transit (NAT) within its city limits and sponsors two dial-a-ride programs for origin-to-destination trips for seniors and persons with disabilities and for medical trips.
Needles Area Transit (NAT) The Needles Area Transit (NAT) is a deviated fixed route public transportation system. It operates on weekdays from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm and on Saturdays from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. It circulates hourly around the city in a route pattern of 15 miles. Fares are $1.10 for each one- way trip and $1.00 for seniors and persons with disabilities. Thirty (30) punch passes are sold for $31.50. Route deviations may be allowed provided the schedule allows. The fare for a deviation is $1.60 for the general public and $1.50 for seniors and persons with disabilities.
Needles Dial-a-Ride The Needles Senior Citizens Club operates a curb-to-curb, shared-ride transportation service within the Needles city limits. Eligible riders are older adults ages 55 and older and persons of any age with a disability that limits their mobility. Persons with disabilities must provide a doctor’s note, which is held on file at the Senior Citizens Club transportation office. Riders must
41 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 also have a registration card on file with the Senior Citizens Club. Riders are promised a ride within 15 minutes before and 15 minutes after their requested pick-up time.
Service is available Monday through Friday from 9:00 am until the final drop off at 1:00 pm. Trips to the Senior Citizens Club for lunch are provided at 11:00 am and return at 1:00 pm. The Senior Citizens Club can choose to provide special out-of-town trips, depending on driver and vehicle availability.
Needles Dial-a-Ride Medical Transport The Needles Senior Citizens Club also provides prescheduled medical transportation twice weekly, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, up to Fort Mohave and on to Bullhead City in Arizona for medical trip purposes. The service is open to the general public for medical appointments on a space-available basis. All trips leave from and return to the Needles Senior Center, unless the schedule permits riders to be dropped off or picked up at their homes.
The Dial-a-Ride Medical Transport operates between 9:00 am and 2:00 pm. Generally, the bus leaves Needles at 9:00 am, so appointments must be scheduled accordingly. Appointments beginning at 2:00 pm and later cannot be served.
Passenger fares are $5 round-trip to destinations across the river to Fort Mohave and as far as Valley View Medical Center, and $10 round-trip for Bullhead City medical destinations beyond Valley View. The service will travel as far north as the Laughlin Bridge. Picking up or dropping off individuals at their residence incurs an additional fee of $1.00.
Metrolink Metrolink is a provider of commuter rail service for five counties in Southern California. Three commuter rail lines travel through the San Bernardino Valley: 1) the San Bernardino Line, 2) the Inland Empire – Orange County Line (IEOC), and 3) the Riverside Line. Both the San Bernardino Line and the Riverside Line travel east-west serving commuters traveling westbound into Los Angeles County for work or school. The IEOC travels southerly to Orange County providing commute trips to employment opportunities to the south. Weekend service is provided on the San Bernardino and the Inland Empire Orange County lines. Both lines have a promotional day pass fare of $10. The $10 Weekend Day Pass allows passengers to travel anywhere on Metrolink lines and allows free transfers on connecting transit services. General fares on Metrolink trains vary depending on the length of the trip and can be purchased at the Metrolink stations prior to boarding the train. The National Transit Database (NTD) reports 440,984,546 annual passenger miles and 13,429,362 unlinked passenger trips for Metrolink in 2014.
42 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 Information Resource Programs Most transit agencies operating in San Bernardino County provide trip planning tools on their agency’s website. Trip planning is possible through a transit agency’s participation in the General Transit Feed Specifications (GTFS). GTFS allows for the collection of public transit trip information in a standardized format, an open source data structure that enables its use across software programs and applications.
Google Transit Google Transit is an online portal that organizes fixed-route GTFS data to travel between points. SBCTA has historically paid for the collection of GTFS data, through a joint contract with RCTC, and the management and transmission of this data to Google Transit such that the public can get accurate transit information. Google Transit can be accessed through the Google homepage, through Google maps or directly linked at Google.com/Transit.
IE511.org IE511.org is a resource that allows potential shared-ride users the opportunity to gather travel information in Southern California with a specific focus on the Inland Empire. Users calling from a landline with an Inland Empire area code (i.e. 909, 951, 619, and 760) will be able contact the organization for travel information. Cell phone users can dial 511 within the Inland Empire to reach IE511. The phone service provides real-time traffic information with traffic incidents and driving times throughout Southern California, links to construction information and delays, bus and rail trip planning, specialized transit information for the Inland Empire communities, rideshare information, park-and-ride lot information, a map of existing HOV lanes, and employer services for businesses interested in ridesharing programs.
211VetLink.org The 211 VetLink Trip Planner tool allows Veterans and other community members an opportunity to find transportation options in the Inland Empire. Members must sign-up and answer a brief questionnaire. The questionnaire is meant to determine eligibility for specialized transportation service such as Omnitrans Access service. Once a member, a customer can input travel information and receive transportation options ranging from shared-ride services or taxi and ride-hailing services such as Uber. This program is especially important to the development of this COORDINATED PLAN as its trip planner also includes demand response programs that would be available to a user based on service area and the characteristics of the rider. Transportation providers that receive grant funding as a result of this Plan are strongly encouraged to be sure their program is included in the 211VetLink database as a resource.
43 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 Private Transportation Providers
Greyhound Greyhound is the largest provider of intercity bus travel in North America with access to more than 3,800 locations. The majority of Greyhound lines are regularly scheduled passenger services, but the company has recently added premium city-to-city service, the Greyhound Express and its Greyhound Connect service that connects rural communities with larger Greyhound markets. Greyhound can be accessed at the San Bernardino Bus Station on G Street in San Bernardino, the downtown Riverside Bus Station and at the Banning and Thousand Palms Greyhound stops in Riverside County.
Megabus The Megabus is a low-cost express bus service that can be boarded for as little as $1.00, and can provide links to Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose. Its coach style buses are wheelchair accessible, offer free Wi-Fi connection and are equipped with AC power at each seat. While this service does not serve any locations in San Bernardino County directly, it is a valuable long distance option that can be boarded at the Downtown Riverside Metrolink station, which is reasonably accessible to riders traveling from the San Bernardino Valley.
Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) have become a viable means of travel in recent years. With the prevalence of smart phones, mobile applications such as Lyft and Uber function as a ride-hailing service for travel almost anywhere in the region. In the San Bernardino Valley region, both Uber and Lyft have a significant presence. Coverage maps obtained from each company show that almost all of the significantly populated portions of the Valley are served by both TNCs. Western San Bernardino County—Ontario, Upland, Rancho Cucamonga—appears to have somewhat higher service levels than the area from Fontana east to Redlands and encompassing the City of San Bernardino.
4.2 Experience with Available Specialized Transportation Funding
Specialized Transportation Funding The San Bernardino County Transportation Authority, in its role as the Regional Transportation Planning Agency for San Bernardino County, has administered several funding opportunities for agencies providing specialized transportation.
44 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 FTA Section 5316 JARC and Section 5317 - New Freedom The Federal Transit Administration’s SAFTEA-LU legislation required that applicants interested in applying for two of its discretionary funding programs did so through inclusion in, and in reference to, the Coordinated Plan for their respective counties. The Job Access and Reverse Commute (JARC) program was available to fund projects that served persons of low-income and promoted access to employment and job training locations or reverse work commutes. The New Freedom program was designed to create new transportation options for persons with disabilities that went beyond what the ADA mandated public transit programs could provide. While these programs provided a viable funding opportunity for many San Bernardino County agencies, there was difficulty nationwide in finding non-profit applicants to spend down the JARC allocations. Additionally, the New Freedom program was deemed to have some overlap with the long existing Section 5310 capital funding program for seniors and persons with disabilities. The JARC and New Freedom funding programs were discontinued with the expiration of SAFETEA-LU. Under its replacement MAP-21 legislation and as it stands under the current Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act), JARC funding was formulized and allocated to designated recipients in urbanized areas (UZAs) and the New Freedom program was absorbed into FTA’s Section 5310 program.
FTA Section 5310 Traditionally, in the state of California, the 5310 program had been administered by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). Under MAP-21 and with the merging of the 5310 and New Freedom programs, the distribution of 5310 funding allocations were made available based on the population of a given UZA. Through an agreement between SBCTA, Caltrans and the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), the 2015 call-for- projects for 5310 funds was conducted and awarded by SBCTA while the fiduciary and program monitoring responsibilities remained with Caltrans. Section 5310 funding for the non-urbanized areas was still awarded and funded as part of the Caltrans statewide process. For the 2017 call- for-projects under the 5310 program, SBCTA will administer its own 5310 call-for-projects for the western portion of the San Bernardino Valley for which it shares a UZA with Los Angeles and Orange Counties. SBCTA will only play an advisory role to Caltrans and prospective applicants for the remainder of the county.
Measure I Specialized Transportation Through the CTSA for the San Bernardino Valley, monetary support was provided to successful JARC and New Freedom applicants to cover the local match requirement of the grant programs, effectively fully funding projects. The CTSA function for the San Bernardino Valley has now been absorbed in to the Omnitrans organization, but there are plans to make Measure I funding available to non-profit transportation providers in the future through a formal competitive process.
45 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 A summary of awarded funding for San Bernardino County specialized transportation programs is presented in Table 2. Across all grant programs, more than $22 million in funding has been awarded to fund specialized transportation projects that were developed as a result of the Coordinated Planning process.
Table 2, Specialized Transportation Funding for San Bernardino County
Section 5310 JARC New Freedom Measure I Totals 2008-09 Call-for-Projects San Bernardino Valley $ 190,782 $ 472,653 $ 394,624 $ 1,058,059 Victor Valley $ 506,39 2 $ 370,505 $ 112,442 $ 989,339 Non-Urbanized $ -
2010-12 Call-for-Projects San Bernardino Valley $ 1,283,695 $ 3,407,844 $ 1,022,127 $ 3,90 2,062 $ 9,615,728 Victor Valley $ 175,867 $ 175,867 $ 351,734 Non-Urbanized $ 164,542 $ 283,502 $ 448,044
2013-14 Call-for-Projects San Bernardino Valley $ 2,339,777 $ 1,294,116 $ 2,590,622 $ 6,224,515 Victor Valley $ 532,076 $ 159,947 $ 692,023 Non-Urbanized $ -
2014-15 Call-for-Projects San Bernardino Valley $ 1,650,928 $ 1,650,928 Victor Valley $ 454,236 $ 454,236 Non-Urbanized $ 647,139 $ 647,139 Totals $ 4,733,172 $ 7,463,264 $ 3,442,625 $ 6,492,684 $ 22,131,745 Non-urbanized 5310/5316/5317 funding was procured and administered statewide by Caltrans The 2013-14 Call-for-projects included three years of funding for JARC/NF projects The 2014-15 call-for-projects for 5310 included funding for "Expanded" projects needing operating assistance. Measure I funds were awarded to cover the local match requirement for JARC/NF programs in the SB Valley JARC/NF programs were discontinued under MAP-21 legislation and were not available in the 2014-15 call-for-projects
Specialized Transportation Providers There are a number of specialized transportation programs receiving financial support that either initiated or expanded projects that address the mobility needs of persons with disabilities, older adults, persons of low-income and veterans. These programs include:
• Directly operated demand responsive transportation, including senior and non-emergency medical transportation, veterans’ transportation, lifeline service and youth transportation. o B.E.S.T. Opportunities – Senior Transportation, Barstow o Central City Lutheran Mission – Homeless Shelter Transportation, San Bernardino Valley o City of Fontana – Senior Transportation, San Bernardino Valley
46 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020
o City of Montclair – Senior Transportation, San Bernardino Valley o City of Rancho Cucamonga – Senior Transportation, San Bernardino Valley o Desert Manna – Homeless Shelter Transportation, Barstow o Foothill AIDS Project – NEMT Transportation, Victor Valley o Hi-Desert Medical Center – NEMT Transportation, Morongo Basin o Inland Valley Drug and Alcohol Recovery Center – Resident Treatment Transportation o Loma Linda Medical Center – Medical Transportation, San Bernardino Valley o OPARC Connect - Disabled Transportation, San Bernardino Valley o Orenda Foundation – Veterans Transportation, Victor Valley o Pomona Valley Workshop – Disabled Transportation, San Bernardino Valley o Victor Valley Community Services Council – Senior Transportation, Victor Valley o YMCA of Ontario/Montclair and Rancho Cucamonga/Fontana – Senior Transportation, San Bernardino Valley
• Mileage reimbursement programs for individual seniors and persons with disabilities. o Community Senior Services – Volunteer Driver Program, San Bernardino Valley o Omnitrans – Travel Reimbursement & Escort Program (TREP), San Bernardino Valley and the Non-Urbanized areas of the county. o Victor Valley Transit Authority - Travel Reimbursement & Information Program (TRIP), Victor Valley
• Travel training for persons with disabilities. o Omnitrans – Travel Training, San Bernardino Valley o SB County Workforce Development – Travel Training, Countywide
• Mobility management and access to transportation information. o Inland Empire United Way - 211VetLink.org – Information Portal, Countywide o SB County Workforce Development – Mobility Management, Countywide o Victor Valley Transit Authority – Mobility Management, Victor Valley
4.3 Trips per Capita as a Measure of Use and Need
Trips per capita is an important performance measure in considering transit utilization and transit demand in relation to population growth. It is a tool for assessing both the volume of service provided and how that relates to the population, as a ratio of trips to population.
47 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 Figure 18 below shows the distribution of all rail, transit, and shared-use trips in FY 2014-15. The 1.7 million rail trips reflect just under one-in-ten (9%) trips provided. The 13 million trips provided by San Bernardino County’s public fixed route systems represents more than 85% of all trips provided. These fixed route trips are provided by the five public transit agencies operating six fixed route systems (two operated by VVTA). Demand response services, with 683,000 trips, and the one vanpool program, with 527,000 trips, each account for 3% of the trips provided. Specialized transportation programs are providing 1% of all trips, usually highly individualized and often door-to-door and door-through-door trips.
Figure 18, San Bernardino County Rail, Transit, and Shared Use Trips
Table 3 on the following page provides details on each of the county’s public and specialized transportation programs by mode, reflecting the 19.6 million trips provided during the most recent reporting year, FY 2014-15 and identifying the trips provided by each agency. The 9.6 million trips in a county with a population of 2.1 million, translates to a 9.3 trips-per-capita rate for all shared-use transit modes in San Bernardino County.
48 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 Table 3, FY 2014-15 Public and Specialized Transportation Measures
The indicator trips-per-capita is also an important performance measure to monitor over time. As the population continues to grow, the demand for public transit should increase. The trips- per-capita performance measure (termed the Per Capita Trip) was selected by the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) Regional Transit Task Force (RTTF) and Transportation and Communications Committee (TCC) as a method for establishing a goal for transit consumption. The 2016 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy
49 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 (RTP/SCS) states that per capita trips have stagnated since 1991. In 2012, the region’s per capita trips for bus was at 32.2. By 2040, the RTP/SCS projects that the per capita trips will increase to 51.6 for bus as population continues to grow and service delivery expands.
Figure 19 contrasts the trips-per-capita rates for the county’s public transit operators with per capita trips provided by other Southern California public transit operators. San Bernardino County’s two public transit entities reporting in the National Transit Database, Omnitrans and VVTA, provided 7.3 trips-per-capita. Riverside Transit Agency had a lower per capita rate of 5.4; San Bernardino County had comparatively low rates of 7.9 for just fixed route and 9.3 for all shared-use transit, reflecting the challenges of providing public transportation in low-density, expansive service areas.
While the regional goal is relatively high at 32.2, it is important to note that transit operators in San Bernardino County are serving areas that are not as densely populated as Los Angeles County and other areas of the state. However, as the county’s population is expected to continue to grow, the extent to which public transit services keep up with that growth will be reflected in changes in the trips-per-capita rate.
Figure 19, FY 2014-15 Selected Regions or Agencies Trips-per-Capita Rates
Trips per Capita 2014/2015 National Transit Database (NTD) MotorBus Trips Reported In Relation to 2015 Service Area Population
LA Metro 41.9 San Diego MTS 23.3 Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority 17.5 Orange County Transit Authority 16.1 Sacramento Regional Transit 13.2 Sunline Transit Agency 11.1 Antelope Valley Transit Authority 10.3 North County Transit District (San Diego County) 9.6 San Bernardino County (All Reporting Modes) 9.3 San Bernardino County (All F/R Providers) 7.9 Riverside Transit Agency 5.4 - 10.0 20.0 30.0 40.0 50.0
Trips per Capita
50 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 5.0 ASSESSMENT OF MOBILITY NEEDS & GAPS
5.1 Outreach Approach
During January, February and March 2016, SBCTA undertook a series of activities to invite input across San Bernardino County about mobility needs of older adults, persons with disabilities and persons of low-income. These activities included public and stakeholder workshops, opportunity for e-comments, and interviews.
Figure 20, Workshop Flyer Six outreach workshops were held at locations across the County inviting input from the general public, riders, public and non-profit agency personnel and other stakeholders. These workshops were widely promoted via email blast to 325 agencies that are members of the Transportation Network. Flyers advertising the workshops were developed in English and Spanish and these were displayed at each location (an example is shown in Figure 20). Intercept surveying was conducted in early March at the San Bernardino Transit Center to solicit input from riders. A project website provided for an online capability for receiving comments, and its availability was advertised at each participation opportunity. For the Mountains Area and Needles Area, extensive community outreach was recently undertaken for recent Short Range Transit Plan development. This input was compiled and reviewed.
Between participation at SBCTA workshops, intercept surveying, SRTP Outreach, and public comments received, an estimated 225 individuals or organizations contributed in some manner to this public input process.
51 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 5.2 Countywide Transportation Network Findings
This section highlights countywide findings while the subsequent sections focus on outreach findings for specific geographic sub-areas of San Bernardino County. SBCTA annually distributes an invitation to public agencies, non-profits and human service organizations to be included in its Transportation Network database. This provides for a regular updating of contacts and resources and some opportunity for a basic level of input from participating entities. A review of two past years (2013 and 2014) of Transportation Network cards, a total of 83 (out of 95 total) reported on their client’s mobility concerns. These individuals provided 117 total comments about their key mobility concerns and the geographical area of that concern. Figure 21, following the summary, illustrates all the comments by type. Figure 22 illustrates reported concerns by specific geographical area. From the 117 comments, the top tier, most frequently noted, were the following topics:
• Coverage / Availability of service (21%) was the top-ranked mobility concern in all areas except for Needles. Comments included there is no or limited service in rural, outlying areas; bus stops are far from some riders’ homes; transit should be more convenient; requests for increased transit options and service. • Affordability was the second-ranked concern, reported in 15% of comments. Comments included that riders rely on subsidized bus passes and agencies need more; riders struggle with affording transit; and agencies are interested in low-cost, cost-effective transit. • Third-ranked wheelchair access issues (9% of all comments) included need for wheelchair equipped vehicles; difficulty loading oversize wheelchairs on many vehicles; inaccessible bus stops; limited capacity for wheelchairs on vehicles; need for an accessible path of access to stops, such as curb cuts or ramps; and on the overall need for increased accessibility. • Tied for third-ranked were non-emergency medical transportation needs (9%), identified in all areas except Barstow. In Needles, there is only one medical center for the Tri-State, Tri- County region and transit is always needed. Seniors in the Mountains often need transit down the hill to specialists. Other comments pointed to an overall lack of access to healthcare due to transit.
Less-often noted, but nonetheless commented upon by numbers of commenters were the following:
• Connectivity, 7% of all comments, related to issues getting between service areas or regions, crossing county borders, and the need for multiple transfers to travel within the city of San Bernardino
52 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 • Expanded service hours and days were requested by 7% of comments. Needs included later night and earlier morning transportation for alternative work shifts, transportation on Sundays, and increased days of operation in some MBTA areas. • The need for specialized transit, including for seniors, veterans and persons with disabilities, accounted for 7% of all comments. Requests focused on the need for reliable transportation, transit to the VA and to senior centers, and difficulty of some seniors in navigating the fixed-route system. • Non-motorized transportation access (6%) These comments related to the Mountains, Morongo Basin, San Bernardino Valley, Victor Valley and reflected concerns about desire for bike facility improvements, such as bike lane stripping and street maintenance, repairs to sidewalks and lack of safe non-motorized transportation facilities for cyclists and pedestrians. • ADA Paratransit Service Concerns (5%) included comments about Access on-time performance and long ride times, the high cost of paratransit services, and the difficulty and confusion around the ADA eligibility process.
Other, less frequently noted mobility topics were:
• Bus stop amenities and excessively long ride times each made up 3% of comments. Requested bus stop amenities included benches and shelters, especially for persons with disabilities and older adults who have difficulty standing for long periods or waiting in the sun or the cold. • Equipment concerns and Transportation Funding each represented 2% of all comments. Respondents were concerned about replacing vehicles and a need for updated equipment. • Commuter Rail, Information Needs, Reliability /On-time performance, and Volunteer driver topics were each reported and each represent 1% of total comments. The comments about volunteer drivers related to the difficulty in securing drivers.
53 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 Figure 21, Network Card Responses – Mobility Concerns
54 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 Figure 22, Network Card Responses – Mobility Concerns by Sub-Area
55 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 5.3 San Bernardino Valley Outreach Findings
Public responses, from both agency representatives and individual consumers, brought back a range of comments on San Bernardino Valley needs and gaps, received through two stakeholder workshops, one public workshop and intercept surveying at the San Bernardino Transit Center.
Intercept Survey An intercept survey was conducted at Omnitrans’ San Bernardino Transit Center (SBTC) on March 1, 2016. Riders and members of the public were asked to share their comments about transit needs by responding to a short survey. They were asked about what San Bernardino County transit services they used, how often they rode public transit, where else they wanted transit to go, and what transit improvements would improve their mobility. Relevant findings are reported below.
Coverage When asked about where else they wanted to travel on public transit, respondents were most likely to report destinations within Los Angeles City and County (23%) or local destinations in the City of San Bernardino (21%), as described in Figure 23 below. Local destinations included: the Amazon Fulfillment Center on Central Ave, El Super Market on 9th Avenue, the DPH TEAM house on Mill Avenue, and along Mt. Vernon Ave. Additional comments reported a perceived lack of convenience, due to long ride times or multiple transfers, for these local City of San Bernardino trips.
Figure 23, Intercept Survey – Destinations Where Public Transit Doesn’t Travel Fifteen percent (15%) of comments related to travel to neighboring cities. These included: Fontana, Redlands, Phelan, Grand Terrace, Rancho Cucamonga, San Bernardino County jails, and Colton. And ten percent (10%) of comments mentioned travel to destinations in Riverside County, including: Perris, Moreno Valley,
56 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 Temecula, Hemet, Palm Springs, and Reche Canyon Road. Many of these destinations are served by Omnitrans or RTA in Riverside, suggesting that riders may be unaware of existing services or how to transfer between providers.
Areas for Improvement Riders were asked what improvements would make it easier for them to use public transit and 122 comments were received. Figure 24 below describes the types of improvements riders requested.
Figure 24, Intercept Survey – What Improvements Would Make Travel Easier for You?
The most commonly suggested improvement was increased frequency (17% of comments), requested for Omnitrans Routes 2, 11, 290, 325
Requests for increased frequency on nights and weekends made up 16% of comments, and included Omnitrans Routes 2, 7, 8, 11, 215, 290.
Increased coverage was suggested by 10% of comments and included: Route 215 should serve more stops in Riverside; increase routes on Omnitrans, stops can be a long walk from rider’s homes or destination; increased service along Baseline; a stop at the 99 Cents Only store on 4th in San Bernardino; increased service to Muscoy, and service to San Bernardino jails.
57 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 Improved scheduling and connectivity (7%) included scheduling concerns such as real-time not matching the schedule and missing connections if one bus leaves early or arrives late. Routes mentioned included Omnitrans Routes 3 and sbX the connection between Routes 1 and 11.
Comments about improved accessibility (5%) related to riders needing the ramp, but facing resistance from drivers if they don’t have mobility device; need for more priority seating for persons with disabilities; and a need for more assistance.
San Bernardino Valley Transit Needs by Theme
Unserved / Underserved Areas • Agencies report that there is little to no useable transit connection to Redlands Community Hospital and it is a difficult for seniors to get to appointments. • The Omnitrans Route 65 stop on Walnut and Central serving the Chino Valley Medical Center was moved. This transit stop is needed to help patients get to medical appointments and get home. • A bus stop is needed in front of the Montclair Hospital Medical Center. • Seniors would appreciate a Omnitrans bus stop at the Senior Center at 11200 Base Line Rd. • Riders requested additional service to Victoria Gardens. • There is no service to Country Village in Mira Loma. • Rancho Cucamonga Library is a key destination without transit service. The bus only stops on Baseline and it’s a considerable walk from there. • There is no service connecting Calimesa and Yucaipa.
Increased Service on Weekends / Increased Frequency and Faster Service • There is no bus service on Archibald in Rancho Cucamonga on weekends. Riders would like to travel to the Archibald Library. • One rider reported difficulty getting home to San Bernardino on weekends from the LA County Fairgrounds in Pomona because the service hours aren’t late enough. • Weekend service is needed to Victoria Gardens. • Omnitrans riders report that buses traveling in San Bernardino take too long and should run more frequently, especially route 1. • Omnitrans riders requested faster sbX-type service to Fontana • In the San Bernardino Valley, there is a need for improved, faster service east to west.
Increased Access to Transit / Safe Path-of-Travel / Safe and Comfortable Rides • There are missing sidewalks on Waterman Avenue in San Bernardino. Patients, especially those in wheelchairs, have difficulty accessing the WIC clinic and HIV clinic at 606 E. Mill
58 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 Street. Additionally, the eastbound stop is on an island with dirt and no curb cut. This stop is inaccessible for wheelchair users. • Bus stop amenities such as benches are needed at many stops within the San Bernardino Valley. • More stops need to be accessible. • Montclair Transit Center needs to be cleaned more frequently. The permanent bathrooms are often locked and the port-a-potties are not cleaned. • Omnitrans’ Transit Centers bathrooms should be kept open during operating hours: past 9 pm on weekdays and past 5 pm on weekends.
Cross-County Issues / Long Distance Trips / Improved Connections • Omnitrans’ Access Paratransit services does not provide service beyond the San Bernardino County line into Los Angeles County. Two agencies serving individuals with disabilities, Ability First and Services Center for Independent Living, located in Claremont, CA report that it can take clients two hours to get from the county border where ACCESS service stops to these service centers. • YMCA of Ontario and Montclair is seeing an increase in requests for trips to Riverside, a trip beyond the service area of their agency transportation. This program provides transportation for seniors to and from their center and the Ontario Senior Center and for non-emergency medical trips within their service area. • Pomona Valley Workshop reports that clients living in LA County have trouble getting into San Bernardino County for services • Riders report that some Omnitrans connections don’t always match up. There can be a long wait for the connecting bus. • Omnitrans made service changes in September and is currently working to resolve various schedule issues, resulting from their winter 2016 re-working of service routing. • It is impossible to connect between Calimesa and Yucaipa. • Community Connect’s volunteer driver reimbursement program will allow reimbursements across county lines. Many agencies are not aware of this resource.
Maintain and Develop Creative Solutions / Support Existing Mobility Options • The TREP program (volunteer driver reimbursement) is a critical resource to DAAS clients and should continue to be offered. It fills needs that Access Paratransit can’t meet. • Foothill Aids clients rely on subsidized bus passes, as most are very low-income. • Pomona Valley Workshop would like funding for their transportation program to continue so they can maintain and grow their transportation program. They are concerned about the future of FTA 5310 funding. • WIC has no means to provide transportation. It’s their number one barrier to serving clients.
59 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 Improved coordination between public transit and specialized transit providers, health and medical agencies, human and social services and non-profit agencies. • There is a need to talk across service industries, for greater dialogue between transit and human services agencies. • There is a need to plan and coordinate agency location siting with public transit. Hesperia WIC will soon be moving to a new location. Early in the planning process, agencies such as WIC should engage public transit to ensure they select a location that is accessible by transit and on a route that is not facing changes or service cuts. • Healthcare discharge planning should begin during the in-take process and hospital staff responsible for discharge should be informed about transit options and how to access them. • Hospital staff could use ACCESS’s “presumptive eligibility” for beginning the eligibility process for eligible patients while they are in the hospital. • Transit should work with medical groups and insurance to promote specialized programs • Molina Senior Healthcare Collaborative exists and could be a partner. • There is a need to clarify ACCESS eligibility requirements for hospital staff, at hospital collaboratives. ACCESS team could increase its outreach to coordinate with existing collaboratives and agencies. • Foothill Aids Partnership frontline staff would benefit from training about ACCESS eligibility. They attempt to help clients with information, but as they are not always clear about eligibility, clients may become mistrustful if they aren’t approved for Paratransit.
Promoting Awareness / Improved Education about Mobility Options • Agencies such as Foothill Aids Project and Transitional Assistance Department report that there is a lack of awareness about transportation services and programs among both clients and staff. • The San Bernardino Transitional Assistance Department is spending large amounts providing transportation reimbursement for CalWORKS/ Welfare to Work clients who receive transportation assistance as part of their program. There are existing services and programs that may more cost-effectively meet some trip needs; however, Transitional Assistance is not aware of all the transit resources available. • S.B. Transitional Assistance staff would use VetLink’s trip planner and other resources if they were aware of them. • Agencies need transit education materials for general public and agency staff. • WIC clients would benefit from destination-specific trip-planning tools that demonstrated how to get from various cities to WIC sites via transit. • Agency staff should be trained about transit availability and eligibility requirements and how to access so they can provide transit information during in-take services
60 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 • Transitional Assistance clients would benefit from transit education at enrollment. Some clients become dependent on reimbursements. • VetLink should continue to promote its capabilities as a trip-discovery tool for the general public or agency staff. . Many agencies are not aware of it. . VetLink should have its information and local transit providers call information on a business card for agencies to pass to clients. . VetLink is already partnering with the Workforce Development Department to spread awareness of its services. • Paratransit riders requested reminders or automated calls alerting that their vehicle is near.
Mobility Management: Brokerage Development • VVTA is exploring the creation of a brokerage with smaller agencies to assist individuals who can’t find a trip. • Expanding small, specialized programs that can coordinate with other agencies is of interest to some agency representatives.
5.4 Victor Valley Outreach Findings
The outreach workshop in the Victor Valley brought back input about need and gaps from both agency representatives and individual consumers.
Unserved / Underserved Areas • In the high desert, transit is very limited. Stops often aren’t near organizations or services and there are not enough routes serving main destinations. • There are many rural areas with dirt roads. There is no access for older adults or persons with low-incomes. This geography and the far distance is a barrier to transportation. • Lucerne Valley • Phelan/ Pinon Hills • Parts of Apple Valley • Landers • Ranchero / exterior portions of Hesperia • Oak Hills • Dirt roads surrounding 29 Palms creates a challenge to providing service. • Far distances are also a barrier to transportation. • There are clients living outside the service area that is difficult for Direct Access to serve:
61 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 • Highland • Sherwood • Lucerne • Riders in the area by Carmel Elementary have a half hour walk to bus stops (Hesperia, by Vine and Choiceana Avenue). • Veterans want to take Direct Access to VA from Victor Valley
Need for Work-Related and Medical-Related Transportation • Employment-related transportation is a huge need. • Within the high desert there are people who want to work. People are increasingly coming up the hill, to the Victor Valley, for jobs. • Hesperia DPH clinic hours end at 8 pm. Clients can’t get home after appointments as transit has stopped. • There is a Hesperia clinic for HIV patients. Clients come from all over and don’t have enough transportation. • IHSS case managers provide emergency transportation for clients. They don’t get reimbursed. • IHSS employees often serve as a medical accompaniment and there isn’t enough funding for medical mileage reimbursements. The funding is also very restricted.
VVTA Schedule Concerns • It can take an hour and a half to get from Victor Valley College to Hesperia. Need a direct route. . No buses go toward Victor Valley College at night to serve late classes. • VVTA Route 46 waits for twenty minutes at a stop. Its wasted time.
Maintain and Develop Creative Solutions / Support Existing Mobility Options • Volunteer driver programs provide a real solution but face challenges and need continuing support: . Many participants have a difficult time finding a volunteer. . Some riders have difficulty reimbursing drivers; if money is tight, they may want to keep the money. • Need additional capital funds for non-profits and partners in rural areas. • Need smaller vehicles (with lifts) to access rural areas. • Continue to provide subsidized bus passes. When there are no passes, there is a huge decline in seniors going to congregate meal sites.
62 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 Promoting Awareness / Improved Education about Mobility Options • Consider travel training clients at Public Housing facilities. • Local governments and city officials can sponsor a transit “how-to”. There is value in involving them and partnering with them.
Improved coordination between public transit and specialized transit providers, health and medical agencies, human and social services and non-profit agencies • Need effective communication with and between transportation providers. Coordination would help avoid duplication and promote awareness of resources . The Loma Linda VA needs more information about the Direct Access application process. They had questions that the about the application process. • Public Authority has a registry of in-home providers. Tap into this resource for volunteer drivers. • Transit agencies should join Coordinating Groups, for example: • The Regional Council on Aging is discussing resources and interested in spreading information. • Senior Affairs Commission. • VVCSC’s Seniors Helping Seniors program. • Chamber of Commerce should begin dialogue to push issue of transportation. Transit is an economic driver. • Non-profits are interested in a body/group to learn about transportation grants.
Mobility Management: Brokerage Development • Brokerage: Better coordination as a strategy to improving mobility and to develop a cohesive system with all providers. Systems that are already in place need to work together. • Capacity-building: FAP has applied for a grant to serve HIV patients in Hesperia. Perhaps FAP can expand their services to other clients.
5.5 Morongo Basin Outreach Findings
Input about transit needs and gaps in the Morongo Basin was provided by members of the public and agency personnel at one public workshop.
Unserved / Underserved Areas • More service is needed Morongo Valley and Yucca Valley to Johnson Valley.
63 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 • There is no service in Pioneer Town and people need to get there from Yucca Valley. The restaurant Happy and Harriett’s is a key destination. • There are many medical centers and clinics on Highway 62. More stops are needed, so riders can disembark closer to buildings. A stop is needed by the Airway Outpatient Surgery Center and Behavioral Health in Yucca Valley. • Behavioral Health Yucca Valley clients have trouble getting to the center on time for appointments. The center sees 60 clients a day and 45% use MBTA. Behavioral Health is located at 57407 Twentynine Palms Highway. • Many residents in Landers are outside of the Ready Ride service area. They live one mile on a dirt road. Riders need a deviation to serve them. The current pick up is at the Post Office. A lifeline service to Landers a couple days a week is needed. • Need more service in Wonder Valley. Residents have a hard time getting to town to buy groceries. The bus currently runs only twice a week.
Long-Distance Trips • Riders report needing to travel to out-of-area destinations for medical appointments and to access and other services. Destinations beyond the Morongo Basin include: • San Bernardino Valley: Loma Linda; Arrowhead Regional Medical Center; • Coachella Valley: Desert Regional; • Naval Medical Center in San Diego; • Courts and doctors in Victorville.
Increased Service on Weekends / Increased Frequency • Need more frequent service in Twentynine Palms. Riders requested buses running every 20 minutes. • Riders requested half hour frequencies in downtown Yucca Valley. • Need increased frequency to Copper Mountain College. Students have to wait in the cold for an hour. • Later service is needed in Landers. 5 pm is the last bus in Landers, but riders can’t get back to Landers because it’s a 2-hour trip. • Morongo Valley needs increased service to Yucca Valley; there is only one trip per day currently. • One rider requested increased service on Route 1 on Sundays to get to and from Church. A second run in the morning would be a big improvement • Reach Out and HDMC transportation services only run on weekdays. • Riders requested that weekend service be increased: Sunday should run like Saturday and Saturday should run like Friday. • Riders would like to get to Walmart in Yucca Valley during the weekend.
64 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 Need for Increased Weekend Service to the Marine Base • Individuals that work on the Base ride MBTA on Saturday and Sunday and would like increased frequency. Riders want to use transit get to and from the Marine Base for 7:30 am – 4:00 pm shifts and 5 am – 1 pm shifts. • Riders request Saturday service that is similar to weekday service and increased Sunday service as it can be difficult to find a ride on Sunday. • More stops are needed on Base. There are three official stops, but riders would like more stops so they can be dropped off closer to work. Stops are needed at the chow hall and main exchange.
Need for Accessible Vehicles for Non-Profit and Human Service Agencies • Reach Out can’t provide trips down the hill for people who use wheelchairs. Reach Out has to turn down 3-4 requests per month from wheelchair users. • HDMC has a nine passenger van and is continually maxed out on wheelchair space. If they carry multiple passengers in wheelchairs, they can’t fit other passengers.
Increased Access to Transit / Safe Path-of-Travel / Safe and Comfortable Rides • Bus stops need signs so people know where the stop is. • A stop is needed at Anvoy and Adobe Road. • The bus currently drops people off in the middle of the street or in rocks, because some stops aren’t wide enough for a wheelchair. Stops need to be accessible. • The stop at DAAS needs a bench. (56357 Pima Trail, Yucca Valley.) • Bag policy is an issue: People put bags on the seat and passengers can’t sit. Should the policy be revisited and the number reduced? • Help drivers reinforce priority seating policy for seniors and people with disabilities, and policies about hygiene.
Maintain and Develop Creative Solutions / Support Existing Mobility Options • Volunteer Driver Programs are working, but agencies need support: • Agencies need reporting assistance, specifically with data collection and performance measurement. • Agencies need assistance reporting healthcare improvements based on transit impacts.
Promoting Awareness / Improved Education about Mobility Options • Bus service from Wonder Valley exists, but it’s not on the schedule; people don’t know about it. • Spread awareness of and information about services.
65 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 Enhanced Mobility Management: Coordination and Brokerage Development • Coordination and Brokerage: Develop a centralized brokerage system • Need a mechanism for coordinating all providers: know trip request; have vehicle backups; use one vehicle’s down time to transport other riders • Providers currently serve very specific clientele or trips: A brokerage would more effectively meet needs. • Provide transportation for trips beyond medical trips; • Meet other needs by expanding existing capacity • Coordinate human service, non-profit, and public transit agencies: talk about opportunities; overcome barriers; avoid duplication and find ways to reduce it. • Providers need assistance in coordinating. • Help other agencies /non-profits fill gaps and meet needs that MBTA can’t serve. • Continued coordination between existing services.
5.6 Mountains Area Outreach Findings
Input from the Mountains Area comes from outreach undertaken during the Short Range Transit Plan development process during 2015. Riders were surveyed onboard Mountain Transit Vehicles and members of the public were invited to complete the survey online. Relevant findings are reported here.
Trip Purpose 152 individuals provided information about the purpose of their trip taken on Mountain Transit.
Big Bear riders are largely using Mountain Transit services for work (44.4%) and shopping (36%). Fewer riders from Big Bear reported using the service for medical-related trips (6.2%) or social services (4.9%).
Some riders (2.5%) reported using the bus to get to college or vocational school.
RIM area riders are most likely to use Mountain Transit for work trips (52.1%), medical-related trips (15.5%), and shopping (14.1%). Only one respondent reported using MT to get to social services (1.4%). Several riders (4.2%) are using MT as transportation to college or vocational school.
Preferred Improvements Big Bear: Top five desired improvements to Mountain Transit bus service (reported on by 122 survey respondents) are reported below. Twenty percent of respondents had no suggestion.
66 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 • Continue service later in the evenings (48.1%) • Bus shelters at existing bus stops (48.1%) • More frequent service on existing routes (29.6%) • Buses arriving/departing on time (13.6%) • More frequent Saturday service (9.9%)
RIM: Top five desired improvements to Mountain Transit bus service (reported on by 122 survey respondents) included:
• More frequent service on existing routes (43.7%) • More frequent Saturday service (32.4%) • More frequent Sunday service (28.2%) • Continue service later in the evenings (25.4%) • Bus shelters at existing bus stops (16.9%)
Areas or Destinations for New Service 104 individuals responded about locations where Mountain Transit should add service. Almost one-third of respondents had no suggestion or comment.
Big Bear: Top five
• Big Bear to Victorville (37.0%) • Big Bear to Lucerne Valley (30.9%) • Snow Summit (23.5%) • The Discovery Center (21.0%) • Fawnskin (19.8%)
RIM: Top five
• Evening service to the Lake Arrowhead Concert Series (35.2%) • Snow Summit (16.9%) • The Discovery Center (15.5%) • Campgrounds on North Side of Big Bear Lake (5.6%) • Big Bear Meadow Park (5.6%) Other requested destinations included: St. Bernadine; North Shore Churches; VCA; Inland Center Mall; DMV; Victoria/Highland in SB; Sunday service in Crestline; LLUMC; Loma Linda VA; around town; Crestline N. Rd; Lake Gregory N. Rd; more service to Cedar Pine, to Vegas, Nob Hill Running Springs.
67 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 Reasons for Not Riding Mountain Transit • Respondents identified the following concerns: • MT doesn’t go where they want to go. • Needed travel training; respondent was unsure how to read the schedule. • Big Bear area service hours prevented individuals from using the service. • Half of respondents drive themselves and reported this as their reason for not using MT.
5.7 Barstow Area Outreach Findings
Input was solicited from the general public and agency personnel at one public workshop help in Barstow.
Unserved / Underserved Areas • The bus should stop at the Veterans home at least once per day. Veterans have to walk up a long hill to get to the nearest stop. • Many residents at the Veterans Home stopped using BAT because it was unreliable. • DAAS has many clients living in unincorporated County areas who have transportation issues. There are dirt roads. Many clients have difficulty operating their wheelchairs on dirt roads. • Citrine Road in Lenwood along Highway 58 has no bus service. • There is a mobile home park along Highway 58 and the bus driver will leave if the rider isn’t all the way to the stop yet. It is a long trip from Highway 58 to the Barstow Senior Center. • There should be a bus along Highway 58 into town providing lifeline service. • Many clients of the Barstow Counseling Center live in remote areas where there is no transportation service, no bus stops, and no access to transit. • Clients have to get from Barstow to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center. DPH is currently providing taxi trips.
Barstow Area Transit Service Concerns • Riders report that it takes a long time to get through to dispatchers. They don’t always answer and it uses a lot of cell minutes. • Customer service is very low. The perception of many riders is that nothing is done to resolve complaints. • Bus drivers won’t allow a rider to bring her cart and bags on the bus, but this rider needs to bring stuff with her. • Riders requested later BAT service on weekends.
68 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 Increased B-V Link Service Hours and Frequency • If a rider misses B-V Link you have to wait 2 hours for the next bus. • Once the B-V Link bus broke down and the riders were left with no way home. • The B-V Link leaving Fontana at 6:50 pm needs a tripper bus following it; many people have to stand all the way up the hill • The B-V Link should have service on weekends.
Promoting Awareness / Improved Education about Mobility Options • Riders report that they don’t get enough information about transit and would like more opportunities to participate in the decision-making process. • Senior center computers are only used for games, but could be used for transit info. . Key leaders and participants should know how to get transit info on the computer and know how to train others. . There should be an icon on the desktop that easily, quickly takes the user to a transit planning or transit resource site. • Bus stops should have real-time information about when the bus will arrive. • Riders requested more information about Dial-a-Ride Eligibility.
Affordability • The 10-ride pass is very expensive. A transit-dependent senior needs that high-value pass, but finds it hard to afford. • Dial-a-Ride pass is $1.85, which is very expensive on a fixed income. One uses Dial-a-Ride to go shopping and get home. • One rider uses B-V Link to get to Loma Linda, Victorville and Apple Valley. The cost is too high for weekly medical trips.
Maintain and Develop Creative Solutions / Support Existing Mobility Options • Volunteer driver programs need support. Potential volunteers are concerned about insurance and hesitant to drive. It is the first reason riders can’t get a ride. . VVTA partners with an insurance program for non-profit programs. This resource could be used in the Barstow region. • Explore the possibility of a transit program at the Barstow Senior Center or the Barstow Veterans Home . VVTA’s TAG program is a viable resource to begin a small transit program. • Continue making subsidized bus passes available. DAAS SIA distributes bus passes. There are always lines of people waiting to get them. It’s very hard for DAAS to get passes, but they are very needed by clients.
69 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 5.8 Needles Outreach Findings
Public Input from Needles is taken from the Needles Short Range Transit Plan process, undertaken in 2014. This extensive outreach effort included meeting with 25 key stakeholders; conducting an intercept survey of 49 residents, including Limited English Proficient individuals, at three locations; and an onboard survey of 81 riders. Findings relevant to this Coordination Plan are provided here.
Unserved / Underserved Areas • There is a base of students across the river in Fort Mohave who are transit dependent but have no way to get to the Palo Verde Valley Community College facility. • There is high need reported for transportation into Arizona. Trip purposes include work, shopping and medical appointments and services. • Transportation is needed from Fort Mojave into Needles with and for reported education purposes – classes at the Community College – and for medical purposes – Public Health Clinic and some Needles Hospital visits.
Increased NAT Service Hours and Days of Operation • There was greatest interest in expanding Saturday’s 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. schedule, more so to later in the day than for earlier in the day. • There is interest in some limited level Sunday service to help people get to church and Sunday social activities. • Evening service expansion was identified by some, for evening youth activities that include both school and sports events, evening Community College classes and the new Palo Verde Valley Facility on Broadway, and some shopping.
Safe Path-of-Travel / Safe and Comfortable Rides • With students and younger children walking more due to the loss of local school transportation services, there was concern about the need for sidewalk improvements in various areas of the city and therefore concern about youth safety in the streets. • Bus stop improvement topics were raised around shelter from the weather, heat and wind, and in relation to boarding and path-of-access concerns.
Non-Emergency Medical Transportation / Long-Distance Trips • Children requiring medical services must travel either to the few Arizona doctors that take MediCal, or to Arrowhead Medical Center or Loma Linda University Medical Center both in greater San Bernardino
70 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 • Medical trip needs were identified as significant, largely into Bullhead City but also into Colton’s Arrowhead Regional Medical Center and Loma Linda University Medical Center. • Veterans seeking local medical care must travel to Lake Havasu, 42 miles south to the Community Based Outpatient Clinic there. This can be difficult to access for those without vehicles.
Improved Coordination • There is need for coordinated transportation service between Needles, Fort Mohave and Bullhead City, which has prompted a Tribal Transit study that documents a range of work, medical, education and shopping trips needed by Tribal members, among others.
Promoting Awareness / Improved Education about Mobility Options • There is limited awareness of the Dial-A-Ride Medical service for non-senior adults, and some who have used it with small children needing medical services expressed confusion about policies regarding children, fares and car seats. • Regular DAR users also expressed some confusion about policies. These included concerns about guaranteed ride home and difficulty in scheduling appointments during the window when the Dial-a-Ride Medical operates. • Riders requested bus information at bus stops. • Stakeholders reported a need for improved website information to offer guidance to prospective riders (about a quarter of current riders use the City’s website) and the importance of continued distribution of Needles schedules and ride guides around the City.
Affordability and Fare Information and Media • The current 30-trip pass, at a cost of $31.50, is difficult for many low-income households to purchase at one time. • There was interest in a day pass that would afford person the ability to make multiple trips per day for a single fare. • There was some interest with the School District in talking about Youth/ Student Passes and potentially subsidizing these. • Dial-a-Ride Medical fares represent a reasonable fare for trip lengths of between 10 and 20 miles, and more. There is some confusion expressed about escort and companion fares, as well as for children who are accompanying fare-paying adults.
71 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 5.9 Summary Themes for San Bernardino County Outreach
Extensive outreach for this Coordinated Plan involved community-level workshops in several areas of the County, review of two-years of Transportation Network Card responses and reporting on need assessments made through two operators’ short-range transit plan. While some differences exist in individual areas of San Bernardino County, nine common themes did surface.
These common mobility-related themes, reiterated across the county, are:
Underserved and unserved areas exist throughout the County. Expanding service hours, days of service, and increasing frequencies can fill some gaps. Long-distance regional, medical and work trip needs exist throughout the County. Affordability can be a barrier to use. Increased awareness and training about existing services, programs, and resources will help meet trip needs. Increased access to transit / safe path-of-travel / safe and comfortable rides will help fill gaps. Maintain and develop creative solutions / Support existing mobility options. Improving coordination between public transit and specialized transit providers, health and medical agencies, human and social services and non-profits agencies can fill gaps in service and avoid duplication. Encourage enhanced mobility management strategies, such as developing regional brokerages Build capacity by helping human and social services and non-profit agencies develop programs, secure vehicles, and develop and report performance metrics.
72 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 6.0 COORDINATED PLAN GOALS, STRATEGIES & PRIORITIZATION
6.1 Overview of Mobility Gaps and Needs
The overarching themes that frame the core findings of this Plan, as detailed in Chapter 5, form the foundation of this COORDINATED PLAN’S proposed goals and strategies. Each is summarized here in relation to the key findings underscoring the theme statement.
Underserved and unserved areas exist throughout the County. San Bernardino County’s geography and vastness presents barriers to mobility. Public outreach efforts revealed challenges traveling between and within the County’s many areas.
• In the San Bernardino Valley, riders reported difficulty connecting between cities, especially traveling east and west. Also reported was the difficulty traveling to the rural or outlying areas of the County and between Counties. • Rural sub-regions are often unserved or underserved due to the long trip lengths, the long distances between residences and service centers, and dirt roads that traditional public transit vehicle can’t always travel. In the Victor Valley, reported underserved areas include: Lucerne Valley; Phelan; Piñon Hills; parts of Apple Valley; Ranchero, exterior portions of Hesperia; Oak Hills; Highland; and Sherwood. • In the Morongo Basin, unserved areas include between cities, Pioneer Town, Landers, and Wonder Valley. • There is public transit within the City of Needles, however individuals needing to travel beyond or to the City report limited or no transit. Mobility is needed between Fort Mohave and Needles and between Needles and Arizona. • Underserved areas within Barstow include the Veterans Home. Beyond Barstow, individuals report needing transit in unincorporated and remote County land, such as along Highway 58 and in Lenwood.
Expanding service hours, days of service, and increasing frequencies can fill some gaps. • Later evening hours and increased weekend hours were requested in the San Bernardino Valley to serve alternative work schedules
73 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 • Increased frequency requests in the Victor Valley include a direct route from Hesperia to Victor Valley College. • In the Morongo Basin, employees at the Twentynine Palms Marine Corps Base need increased weekend hours serving the Base to accommodate their work schedules. Increased frequency is desired in Yucca Valley, to Copper Mountain College, and in Twentynine Palms. Increased service is needed Landers, between Morongo Valley and Yucca Valley. Riders would like Sunday service for work, church and shopping trips. • In the Mountains area, increased service hours and frequencies were in the top five improvements identified as needed by survey respondents in Big Bear and the RIM. In Big Bear 48.1% of respondents wanted service later in the evenings, and 29.6% of respondents wanted more frequent service on existing routes. In the RIM, the top five improvements all related to increased frequencies on weekends, later evening hours, or increased frequency on existing routes. • Input from Barstow included requests for B-V Link service on weekends. • In Needles, there was greatest interest in expanding the Saturday schedule to later afternoon hours. There was also interest in some limited level Sunday service for church and social activities, as well as weekday evening service expansion for shopping trips, youth trips for school and sports activities and for trips to Palo Verde Community College facility.
Long-distance regional, medical and work trip needs exist throughout the County. The long distances between sub-areas of the County and medical services or job opportunities can be a barrier to individuals receiving healthcare or securing and maintaining employment. The difficulty in navigating these long distances, which includes connections between multiple providers, was reported in most outreach activities. Specific concerns include:
• In the San Bernardino Valley riders report that limited transit or lack of bus stops created difficulty getting to medical destinations such as Montclair Hospital Medical Center, Chino Valley Medical Center, and Redlands Community Hospital. • Public outreach in the Victor Valley found that employment-related transportation is a great concern, particularly as many people are traveling to the Valley from other areas for work opportunities. • Within the Morongo Basin, the public reported difficulty getting to Behavioral Health, Yucca Valley, Airway Outpatient Surgery Center, and other medical centers and clinics on Highway 62. • Additional mobility needs of the Morongo Basin include traveling out of the area for medical and other services. Destinations include: Loma Linda Arrowhead Regional Medical Center;
74 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs; Naval Medical Center in San Diego; courts and doctors in Victorville. • Seniors in the Mountains Area report needing to travel down the hill to specialists in the Valley. Survey results indicated that riders would like to see service expanded to the Loma Linda VA, to Victorville, and to Lucerne Valley. • Riders in Barstow reported needing transit to get to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton. • Long distance trip needs are a reoccurring need in Needles as services are limited within the City. Destinations for medical and work trips include Bullhead City in Arizona, Arrowhead Regional Medical Center and Loma Linda University Medical Center. Veterans seeking local medical care must travel to Lake Havasu, 42 miles south to the Community Based Outpatient Clinic there. • There is also need for local transportation for medical trips to Colorado River Medical Center, the only medical center in the tri-state, tri-county region.
Affordability can be a barrier to use. In multiple outreach settings, stakeholders and riders commented that affording fares can be a challenge, especially for riders traveling across multiple providers. The comments urged fare increases be considered very carefully and stressed the importance of the subsidized bus passes that are currently distributed by many social services agencies. The review of Transportation Network revealed that multiple agencies are interested in developing low-cost solutions. Affordability was a key concern in several of the county’s sub areas, including:
• In Barstow, seniors on fixed-incomes report difficulty affording the dial-a-ride fare as well as the 10-ride pass. The B-V Link is also a large expense for riders making weekly trips to Loma Linda or other destinations. • Low-income households in Needles struggle to purchase the 30-trip pass at one time and some expressed interest in a Day Pass. • In multiple settings, stakeholders expressed the need to continue making subsidized bus passes available as many riders depend on them. In the Victor Valley, for example, there is a huge decline in seniors going to congregate meal sites when bus passes run out.
Increased awareness and training about existing services, programs, and resources will help meet trip needs. Discussions throughout the County demonstrated that although there are increasingly more services available, stakeholders and the general public often don’t know what services exist or how to access them. Suggestions to better promote transit services included:
75 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 • Agencies such as Foothill Aids Project and Transitional Assistance Department report that there is a lack of awareness about transportation services and programs among both clients and staff. There are existing services and programs that may more cost-effectively meet some trip needs, however, agencies may not aware of all the transit resources available. • Agency staff should be trained about transit availability and eligibility requirements and how to access so they can provide transit information during in-take services. • VetLink should continue to promote its capabilities as a trip-discovery tool for the general public or agency staff as many agencies are not aware of it. • Stakeholders in the Victor Valley suggested that Public Housing facilities would be a good venue to provide travel training and transit information. • Riders in Barstow report that they don’t get enough information about transit and would like more opportunities to participate in the decision-making process. • Barstow Senior Center computers are only used for games, but could be used for trip planning. • In Needles, there is limited awareness of the Dial-A-Ride Medical service for non-seniors • Stakeholders in Needles reported a need for improved website information to offer guidance to prospective riders and the importance of continued distribution of Needles schedules and ride guides around the City.
Increased access to transit / safe path-of-travel / safe and comfortable rides will help fill gaps. • Improved access in the Valley can be achieved through repairing sidewalks on Waterman Avenue in San Bernardino and Mill Street, ensuring stops are accessible for wheelchair users and adding benches to stops. • Riders suggested that cleaning bathrooms at the Montclair Transit Center and keeping the Omnitrans Transit Center bathrooms open during operating hours will improve their experience. • In the Morongo Valley, bus stops need signs and benches and drivers need assistance reinforcing priority seating policy for seniors and people with disabilities and policies about hygiene. The bag policy should also be revisited. • Access in the Morongo Valley can be improved by ensuring stops are accessible and safe for riders in wheelchairs. • In Needles, sidewalk improvements will improve accessibility and safety. Bus stop improvements such as shelters will improve riders comfort and safety.
76 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 Maintain and develop creative solutions / Support existing mobility options. • Across the County, volunteer driver programs, like TREP and TRIP, are helping fill gaps and providing trips that public transit can’t always serve. Stakeholders in the San Bernardino Valley, Victor Valley, and Barstow expressed the need to continue supporting and funding these programs and demonstrated the challenges these programs face. Volunteer driver programs need assistance collecting data and reporting on impacts and have difficulty securing volunteers due to insurance concerns. • Stakeholders urged the need to continue securing grant funding for non-profits and partners in rural areas, particularly for accessible vehicles. • In Barstow, riders and stakeholders discussed the possibility of developing a transit program at the Barstow Senior Center or the Barstow Veterans Home. • Current FTA 5310 grantees, like Pomona Valley Workshop desire to maintain and grow their transportation programs. These agencies and their transit programs need continued support as they face funding uncertainties and increasing reporting requirements.
Improving coordination between public transit and specialized transit providers, health and medical agencies, human and social services and non-profit agencies can fill gaps in service and avoid duplication. • Stakeholders in the San Bernardino Valley recognize the need to talk across sectors. Building effective communication with and between transportation providers will help avoid duplication and promote awareness of resources. • Agencies should engage transit providers early in the process when they are considering moving or siting a new location. • There is a need to clarify Access eligibility requirements for hospital staff, Loma Linda VA staff, and for staff at non-profits, such as Foothill Aids Project. The Access team could increase its outreach to coordinate with existing collaboratives and agencies. • Healthcare discharge planning should begin during the intake process and hospital staff responsible for discharge should be informed about transit options and how to access them. • Transit agencies should join existing Coordinating Groups and healthcare collaboratives.
77 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 Encourage enhanced mobility management strategies, such as by developing regional brokerages. • Stakeholders in the San Bernardino Valley, Morongo Basin and Victor Valley are interested in exploring a brokerage model and VVTA is actively exploring developing a brokerage program. Benefits discussed during this process included: . More effectively meet needs as existing programs could expand capacity by serving other trip types or clientele. . Help other agencies and non-profits fill gaps and meet needs that public transit can’t serve. . Continued coordination between existing services.
6.2 Five Goals to Address Gaps and Needs
A program of five goals and thirty-two implementing strategies was developed to address the above-stated needs and gaps. Table 4, following, identifies the five goals which address the mobility concerns of San Bernardino County’s seniors, persons with disabilities and persons of low income. Each goal has a set of identified strategies which represent a fairly long list of actions but come directly out of this 2016 COORDINATED PLAN’S outreach processes. The strategies were either proposed by participants in the outreach processes or are drawn from industry best practice as appropriate and realizable solutions.
78 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 Table 4, San Bernardino County 2016 Coordinated Plan Goals Goal 1 – Grow Mobility Choices Increase the geographic reach, frequency and types of public transit, human services and private transportation choices available to San Bernardino residents as demand warrants and resources allow. 10 Strategies and Solutions
Goal 2 – Promote and Coordinate Transportation Services Promote, improve and expand information portals, ensuring multi-cultural strategies, embracing technology and employing mobility management tools to improve mobility and access. 8 Strategies and Solutions
Goal 3 – Connect and Speed Transit Improve connectivity among public transportation services and between modes, embracing innovations that speed travel or coordinate trips through trip brokerages, as funding allows. 5 Strategies and Solutions
Goal 4 – Improve Health Care Transportation Access Promote transportation solutions that improve the ability of San Bernardino residents to travel to and from local and regional medical services and treatments. 2 Strategies and Solutions
Goal 5 – Promote Safe and Comfortable Mobility Ensure safety through new and well-maintained rolling stock, attention to passenger safety and to physical environments that promote safety for pedestrians and bicyclists. 7 Strategies and Solutions
Table 5 following enumerates the strategies and details illustrative projects by which strategies could be realized. Table 5 also presents the ranking within each goal for the thirty-two strategies, ranked either as critical, top-ranked priority or important, second-ranked priority.
79 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 Table 5, 2016 San Bernardino Coordinated Plan – Goals, Prioritized Strategies and Illustrative Projects 2016 Update to the Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Coordination Plan for San Bernardino County
Goal Strategy Illustrative Projects Rank
Goal 1 – Grow Mobility Choices Increase the geographic reach, frequency and types of public transit, human services and private transportation choices available to San Bernardino residents as demand warrants and resources allow. 1.1 Strategy: Increase frequency of Implement recommendations related to existing transit services. service area, days and hours of operation in agency Short Range Transit Plans 1 (SRTPs) or Comprehensive Operational Analyses (COAs). 1.2 Strategy: Support and grow human • Promote Section 5310 vehicle and service transportation as cost- operations grant applications effective alternatives to public • Provide limited technical assistance to transit, responsive to individualized new agencies or those proposing 1 rider needs and able to serve expanding programs. isolated rural areas. • Pursue other discretionary transportation/mobility funding. 1.3 Strategy: Secure funding, • Encourage and pursue not only particularly from discretionary Section 5310 funding. sources, to maintain, enhance and • Encourage and pursue other 1 expand transit and specialized discretionary FTA grants. transportation services. • Encourage and pursue other grant funding that promote mobility. 1.4 Strategy: Expand public transit • Implement recommendations from service areas to unserved and SRTPs and COAs related to service 1 underserved areas of the county area, days and hours of operation in where sufficient demand presents. agency. 1.5 Strategy: Maintain, support and • Establish dialogue with transit, human expand transportation programs service and county staff regarding 1 that provide escort and door- volunteer driver mileage through-door transportation reimbursement program structure
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assistance. and operations throughout San Bernardino County, ensuring sub- regional, local administration. • Ensure continued volunteer driver programming for isolated rural areas that are not otherwise served by public transportation. 1.6 Strategy: Support transit • Limited fare distribution programs, affordability through public transit such as MBTA’s TAG or CTSA fare policy and subsidy options. sponsored bus pass subsidies for human service agencies. • Transit fare programs for students, 2 youth and seniors, including to congregate meal sites. • Family day passes for parents and children. 1.7 Strategy: Promote and expand • Promote vanpool and rideshare vanpool and other shared ride opportunities to address work-trip alternative transportation modes to needs. 2 aid in making first-and-last mile • Develop outreach to lower income connections. workers re vanpool and rideshare potential. 1.8 Strategy: Regularly report on • Develop and use standardized transit and transportation services reporting tools (e.g. TransTrack) to at the countywide level to track collect basic performance indicators. 2 growth and trends in service supply • Report public transit and specialized and service utilization. transportation information on at least an annual basis. 1.9 Strategy: Expand operating hours Implement recommendations related to of service, largely later evening service area, days and hours of operation 2 service, to meet additional trip in agency: needs. • Short Range Transit Plans (SRTPs); 1.10 Strategy: Expand operating days of • Comprehensive Operational Analyses. service, primarily weekends and 2 holidays, to meet additional trip
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needs. Goal 2 – Promote and Coordinate Transportation Services Promote, improve and expand information portals, ensuring multi-cultural strategies, embracing technology and employing mobility management tools to improve mobility and access. 2.1 Strategy: Promote multiple • Ensure different entry points for avenues of customer-oriented transit information. information tools available transit • Continue traditional information and specialized transportation, strategies (paper, telephone). including paper, technology, • Expand emphasis on user-friendly 1 telephone-based platforms, and technology tools. social media. • Ensure availability of non-English transit information to selected communities. 2.2 Strategy: Promote mobility • Mobility managers, including VTrans management initiatives including travel training, 211VetLink.org , and travel training of individuals and VVTA CTSA travel training should transit orientation of agency staff, promote exchange between human as regular, on-going activities. services and transit. • Emphasis on improving dialogue between systems and to inform new staff persons about transit resources 1 and services. • New agency mobility managers can be encouraged, e.g. with the Barstow Veterans Home. • Existing agency programs, e.g. Pomona Valley Workshop, should extend and continue these programs. 2.3 Strategy: Human service and • Establish infrequent but recurring transit agencies should make local sub-regional coordinating councils to connections to improve include San Bernardino County agency 1 communication between service human service agency personnel and systems and ensure effective transit representatives with information exchange regarding knowledge and authority.
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service system changes, anticipated • Review and discuss agency plans, changes, or facility-based changes. anticipated modifications in service delivery and changing mobility needs. • Transit agencies should identify a point-of-contact for human service agency personnel.
• Human service agency personnel
should sign up for SBCTA’s
Transportation Network mailing list, PASTACC and potentially local coordinating council groups to promote effective dialogue. • SBCTA can promote transit agency point-of-contact staff to human service agency personnel. 2.4 Strategy: Develop and promote • Encourage and promote transit rider-centric information tools that agency development of destination- may be destination-focused or user specific information tools, paper and 2 group-focused. technology tools, that help connect riders and human service agency personnel with available transit. 2.5 Strategy: Develop enhanced • Promote trip planning, trip discovery information portals that that applications, Find-a-Ride tools that promote the full range of available embrace all transportation modes transportation options, encourage [e.g. 211Vetlink.org]. effective trip-planning tools, and • Encourage and promote availability of provide real-time traveler real-time traveler information [e.g. information. www.GoSwift.ly, Where’s My Ride, etc.]. 2 • Ensure continued updating of general transit feed specifications (GTFS) of route alignments to provide accurate fixed-route transit information to Google’s trip planner. • Promote open-source coding of transit information to encourage
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innovative user applications. 2.6 Strategy: Human service agency • Existing Find-a-Ride trip planners (e.g. transportation programs should 211Vetlink.org) should regularly provide to Find-a-Ride trip planner request current operating days, hours programs their updated and service area information of transportation provider agencies to ensure that this trip characteristics to aid prospective planner resource is comprehensive riders. and robust. 2 • Mobility manager staff can reach out to providers, funded through Section 5310 and known to SBCTA • Agencies should give priority to providing current, accurate provider characteristics information to Find-a- Ride sponsors. 2.7 Strategy: Develop targeted • Establish infrequent but recurring workshops, at least annually, to sub-regional coordinating councils to promote local dialogue and include San Bernardino County agency exchange between human services human service agency personnel and and public transit agencies and to transit representatives with explore opportunity for further knowledge and authority. coordination and mutual assistance. • Review and discuss agency plans, anticipated modifications in service delivery and changing mobility needs. • Transit agencies should identify a point-of-contact for human service 2 agency personnel. • Human service agency personnel should sign up for SBCTA’s Transportation Network mailing list, PASTACC and potentially local coordinating council groups to promote effective dialogue. • SBCTA can promote transit agency point-of-contact staff to human service agency personnel.
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2.8 Strategy: Mobility managers • Countywide reporting of travel should report units of service and training and mobility management impacts to demonstrate the value of initiatives should be implemented. 2 transportation initiatives • Tools for outcome reporting should be developed. Goal 3 – Connect and Speed Transit Improve connectivity among public transportation services and between modes, embracing innovations that speed travel or coordinate trips through trip brokerages, as funding allows.
3.1 Strategy: To connect and extend • At local, sub-regional levels, such as in human service transportation, the Victor Valley, the Morongo Basin, examine feasibility of brokerages, and other areas, explore coordinated using technology to expand trip- trip-making through focused trip making efficiencies where there are brokerages. 1 sufficient “willing and able” • Pilot and test such opportunities transportation providing agencies. through Section 5310 grants and other initiatives to assess long-term value and viability. 3.2 Strategy: Improve connectivity • Promote and fund policies and within and between transit services, such as the sbX, that programs via continued attention to improve connections within transit shorter trips and speedier travel systems and between transit systems, 2 times, both within San Bernardino across modes and across counties. County and to neighboring Los Angeles, Riverside and Orange Counties. 3.3 Strategy: Promote first-and-last • Support bike share, ride share, car mile policies, services and share and other initiatives that information tools that shorten trips address the first-and-last mile and speed travel. connection 2 • Ensure that information tools (e.g. Find-a-Ride) easily connect riders with first-and-last-mile options. 3.4 Strategy: Monitor and improve • Monitor transit on-time performance 2 service reliability to ensure • Encourage fixed-route service
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effective connections and transfers planning that places an emphasis on within and between transit systems reliable connectivity – intra-system, and transportation modes. between systems, between modes. 3.5 Strategy: Develop connectivity with • Promote communication between the Arizona, including coordinated City of Needles, the Mohave Tribe and service options, enabling Needles Arizona Dept. of Transportation residents to travel toward Bullhead regarding coordination opportunities City for work and other purposes. to extend Needles Area Transit • Consider collaboration with a tribal 2 transit program for regular transit service between Needles and Arizona Colorado River communities, employment and retail areas.
Goal 4 – Improve Health Care Transportation Access Promote transportation solutions that improve the ability of San Bernardino residents to travel to and from local and regional medical services and treatments. 4.1 Strategy: Improve health care • Support innovative responses to the access by addressing long-distance, longer-distance medical trips needs. regional trip needs through • Develop specialized shuttles or lifeline additional transportation options, services that may operate just several such as more direct fixed-route, days weekly, such as various MBTA 1 shuttles, lifeline services, car share service area shuttles or the Needles and other options targeted to Medical Dial-a-Ride. medical facilities and health care trips. 4.2 Strategy: Promote rider education • Promote multiple rider information and rider travel awareness tools, including paper, destination- information that identifies focused to help riders understand destination-specific transportation how to travel to and from distant, 2 resources or purpose-specific (e.g. regional facilities, to connect riders health care) transportation with local resources that make these resources. trips.
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Goal 5 – Promote Safe and Comfortable Mobility Ensure safety through new and well-maintained rolling stock, attention to passenger safety and to physical environments that promote safety for pedestrians and bicyclists. 5.1 Strategy: Secure capital funding for • Upgrade passenger transport fleets, vehicles and ongoing maintenance including human service agencies’ to ensure safe, accessible fleets, by application for accessible transportation. vehicles, such as minivans, high-top vans and cutaway buses. 1 • Ensure that both public transit agency fleets and human service agency fleets adhere to routine vehicle preventative maintenance specifications. 5.2 Strategy: Promote and strengthen • Strengthen existing driver training driver training and driver sensitivity within transit agencies. programs, including coordinated • Develop coordinated training training opportunities, to ensure opportunities using human service safe and comfortable rides for all agency knowledge to enhance public 1 riders, particularly older adults and transit driver training. persons with disabilities. • Share driving and technical training programs of transit agencies with specialized transportation providers’ driving personnel. 5.3 Strategy: Enhance or add shelters, • Fund, promote and give priority to benches, lighting, other bus stop enhancements that make it infrastructure amenities at stops, easier, safer, and more comfortable to 1 important to support existing and use transit. attract new riders. 5.4 Strategy: Ensure transfer facility • Ensure ongoing attention to transit maintenance, including bathroom transfer facilities to help sustain and 2 facilities, to encourage new attract ridership. ridership. 5.5 Strategy: Promote safe pedestrian • Encourage application to statewide and bicycle environments as first- Active Transportation Program and 2 and-last mile solutions, including Safe Routes to Schools grant cycles.
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growing bike capacity on buses. • Promote city and county attention to pedestrian and bicyclist safety, including “share the road” education initiatives. • Support expanded bike-on-bus solutions, including “folding bicycles” and explore Bike Share innovations that promote bicycle use. 5.6 Strategy: Develop or enhance • Ensure continuing attention to wayfinding signage at key signage and wayfinding at major destinations, including transfer transfer locations in the San facilities, to help ensure a safe and Bernardino Valley and across the comfortable trip. county. 2 • Ensure wayfinding direction to riders which will assist riders new to the services, focused on clear information about bus timing and frequency. 5.7 Strategy: Ensure cleanliness of • Attend to bus interiors, including buses to promote comfortable seats and surfaces, to ensure clean rides. and attractive riding environments. • Routinely clean out the dirt in 2 wheelchair tie-down tracts that make it difficult to easily secure a mobility device.
88 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 6.3 Prioritizing the Strategies
Figure 25, Prioritization Workshop Flyer, Spanish As per the Federal guidance for the US FTA 5310 program detailed in C9070 1G Circular 4-20-15, the development of locally-developed Coordinated Plans requires a local process for prioritizing the proposed strategies and projects. To do so, two Prioritization Workshops were held during the summer of 2016, in Joshua Tree and in San Bernardino, to invite comment from stakeholders and agency representatives on the proposed program of goals, strategies and solutions (Figures 25 and 26).
Participants in the initial Coordinated Plan outreach sessions totaled approximately 225 persons. About 40 persons participated in the two Prioritization Workshops, among those directly participating in Plan Development. The Transportation Network database of about 325 contacts across the county was used to advise on the process through a series of several email blasts.
Figure 26, Prioritization Workshop Flyer, English The prioritization workshop results were discussed at the January 2017 Public and Specialized Transportation Advisory and Coordination Council (PASTACC) with another 25 persons.
To prioritize the strategies, workshop participants were provided with the 2016-2020 COORDINATED PLAN’S draft findings, reported out by sub-area and for the county as a whole. Participants were asked to identify missing concepts, strategies and projects. They were also asked to “vote” on those candidate strategies critical to their constituents, as the mechanism for prioritizing these.
For strategy voting, each participant was provided with six first-place votes and six second-place votes
89 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 to distribute among the more than thirty strategies. Votes were cataloged by transit agencies and by human service agencies. Over the course of the two workshops, a total of 546 votes were cast. While not a scientific process, the groups participating were generally representative but did reflect those who chose to came out to either of the two workshops. The resultant prioritization of thirty-two strategies presented in this section provides a guide and direction to San Bernardino County stakeholders in moving forward the many activities identified by which to improve the target population members’ mobility.
Rankings by Transit Agencies and Human Services Agencies Some differences did emerge in the rankings of strategies by public transit representatives and by human service agency representatives. There was also commonality and agreement, explored here in relation to top-ranked strategies by the two sectors. The top ten strategies represent about a third of those identified. This doesn’t mean that the remaining two-thirds are unimportant, rather that these top-ranked strategies are of critical importance, places to start, while retaining on the agenda the remaining identified strategies.
Transit Agencies’ Top Strategies The participating public transit representatives’ top ten strategies are presented here in ranked order:
1. Strategy 1.1: Increase frequency of existing transit services.
2. Strategy 1.3: Secure funding, particularly from discretionary sources, to maintain, enhance and expand transit and specialized transportation services.
3. Strategy 5.1: Secure capital funding for vehicles and ongoing maintenance to ensure safe, accessible transportation.
4. Strategy 1.2: Support and grow human service transportation, as cost-effective alternatives to public transit, responsive to individualized rider needs and able to serve isolated, rural areas.
5. Strategy 1.4: Expand public transit service areas to unserved and underserved areas of the county where sufficient demand presents.
6. Strategy 2.2: Promote mobility management initiatives including travel training of individuals and transit orientation of agency staff as regular, on-going activities
7. Strategy 3.2: Improve connectivity within and between transit programs via continued attention to shorter trips and speedier travel times, both within San Bernardino County and to neighboring Riverside, Los Angeles, and Orange Counties.
90 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 8. Strategy 3.1: To connect and extend human service transportation, examine the feasibility of brokerages, using technology to expand trip-making efficiencies where there are sufficient “willing and able” transportation-providing agencies.
9. Strategy 3.3: Promote first-and-last mile policies, services and information tools that shorten trips and speed travel.
10. Strategy 5.3: Enhance or add shelters, benches, lighting and other infrastructure amenities at stops, important to support existing and attract new riders.
These strategies each scored between 5% to 8% of all transit-placed votes, representing the top-vote getting strategies. They drew from each of the five goals, with the exception of Goal 4: Health Access.
The transit representatives placed frequency and funding at the top. Notably they did include human service agency transportation growth as a priority, in recognition of the “gap-filling” role that small agency transportation programs can fill. Service area expansion was in fifth position, important and within the top ten, but following increases in frequency. Similarly, improvements in connectivity which improves speeding transit was in the top ten as well as attention to first-and-last mile policies, services and information tools. Mobility management, specifically in relation to travel training and support for brokerages ranked among these top strategies. And finally, attention to bus stop improvements and pedestrians is in this top- ranked grouping.
Human Service Agencies’ Top Strategies The top eleven strategies, with a tie for the 10th position, ranked by human service agency representatives at the two workshops follow. Each of these strategies received between 4% and 9% of the total of 392 votes cast by participating human service personnel; they are presented here in ranked order:
1. Strategy 4.1: Improve health care access by addressing long-distance, regional trip needs through additional transportation options, such as more direct fixed-route, shuttles, lifeline services, car share and other options targeted to medical facilities and health care trips.
2. Strategy 2.1: Promote multiple avenues of customer-oriented information about available transit and specialized transportation, including paper, technology, telephone-based platforms and social media.
91 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 3. Strategy 1.2: Support and grow human service transportation, as cost-effective alternatives to public transit, responsive to individualized rider needs and able to serve isolated rural areas.
4. Strategy 2.3: Human service and transit agencies should make local connections to improve communication between service systems and ensure effective information exchange regarding service system changes, anticipated changes, or facility-based changes.
5. Strategy 1.1: Increase frequency of existing transit services.
6. Strategy 5.2: Promote and strengthen driver training and driver sensitivity programs, including coordinated training opportunities, to ensure safe and comfortable rides for all riders, particularly older adults and persons with disabilities.
7. Strategy 1.5: Maintain, support and expand transportation programs that provide escort and door-through-door transportation assistance.
8. Strategy 3.1: To connect and extend human service transportation, examine the feasibility of brokerages, using technology to expand trip-making efficiencies where there are sufficient “willing and able” transportation-providing agencies.
9. Strategy 1.3: Secure funding, particularly from discretionary sources, to maintain, enhance and expand transit and specialized transportation services.
10. Strategy 5.1: Secure capital funding for vehicles and ongoing maintenance to ensure safe, accessible transportation.
11. Strategy 1.6: Support transit affordability through public transit fare policy and subsidy options.
The human service representatives ranked at the top Strategy 4.1 improving health access, presumably reflecting the experience of human services personnel who hear about those regional medically-related trips that are difficult to make. Improved information tools, particularly with a customer-orientation, were in the second-ranked position. The next two top-ranked strategies relate directly to human service organizations, including growing human service transportation and making local connection with transit agencies in anticipation of change.
The fifth-ranked strategy was to improve transit frequencies, in agreement with the transit representatives in placing frequency enhancements over service area coverage expansion. Notably, service area expansion did not make the top grouping for human service agencies.
A focus on consumers continues among these top-rated strategies with attention to driver training to ensure comfortable rides for older adults and persons with disabilities, as well as
92 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 supporting door-through-door and escort transportation for the most vulnerable who cannot use public transit at all.
Also top-ranked was the exploration of brokerage opportunities to make efficient use – in the booking of trips – of the public transit and human service transportation programs that do exist.
Attention to revenues and costs was included in high ratings of securing operating funding and capital funding for transportation projects. Also in this top tier the affordability of the trip was noted, to promote discounted fares and communicate those to their constituents.
Differences and Similarities in Top-Ranked Strategies The health access strategy (4.1) was not highly-rated by the transit agencies but was highest rated at 9% of all human service agencies, reflecting their differences in perspective on long- distance regional trips. Both groups rated frequency (1.1) above coverage (1.4) in that continuing trade-off with which public transit grapples.
Funding is clearly important to both groups, with securing both operating funding (1.3) and capital funding (5.1) among this top-ranked group. Fare affordability (1.6) was cited as important by human services but not public transit in this tier of ranked projects.
Technology’s role was recognized by both groups, for human services in promoting customer- oriented information (2.1) and by transit representatives’ interest in utilizing brokerages (3.1) to coordinate trips for more cost-effective use of resources. Training of drivers, riders and others also ranked highly, for drivers (5.2) and through mobility management (2.2) for potential riders and human service agency personnel about transit services individually and generally. Transit agencies rated these mobility management functions more highly, perhaps because these have proven to be useful ambassadors of transit service information. Continued support for the escort and door-through-door travel options (1.5) was rated comparably by both groups, recognizing its role for those unable to use public transit due to rural residences or the frailty of the traveler.
Recognition of the infrastructure needs around bus stop improvements (5.3) made the top tier, ranked of about equal import by both sectors.
6.4 Ranking of All Strategies
Table 6 following presents the combined ranking of all thirty-two strategies, ranked either as “1” for critical or as “2” for important. Rankings by both sectors, transit and human services, are combined to provide the many audiences of this 2016-2020 COORDINATED PLAN with a composite roadmap of strategies and projects by which to move forward mobility improvements focused on its target group members.
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6.5 FTA Section 5310 Program Role in San Bernardino County to Address Mobility Needs and Gaps
Current 5310 Funding Picture As noted in statute and in the Introduction to this 2016-2020 COORDINATED PLAN, the FTA Section 5310 program is the primary funding source by which to support identified strategies and projects. SBCTA has embarked upon a Call for Projects, in partnership with Caltrans, for the grant awards for the three-year period of 2017 through 2020.
Funding for these projects flows either through Caltrans or through SBCTA. Caltrans is responsible for projects in the rural areas of San Bernardino County; the Riverside-San Bernardino urbanized area (UZA), the dark pink area in Figure 27 below; and the Victorville- Hesperia urbanized area (UZA), shown in orange in Figure 27. SBCTA will be responsible, through its partnership with Omnitrans, for the urbanized area that is part of the Los Angeles- Long Beach-Anaheim urbanized area (UZA), the lighter pink area in the west end of the San Bernardino Valley.
Figure 27, Urbanized and Non-Urbanized Areas
95 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 This somewhat complex funding picture is the result of various decisions about through which agencies the funds would and which would be responsible for projects’ subrecipient monitoring subsequent to award decisions. It is highly likely that a review of this funding picture and the roles of various parties, including the adjacent county transportation commissions and Caltrans, will be undertaken prior to future distribution of Section 5310 funding
Decision-making Under This 5310 Call for Projects Given the priorities presented in this Chapter, and in anticipation of limited funds, it is expected that SBCTA will support and encourage projects on two levels:
• Top-ranked priorities, those with a ranking of “1” as critical, should be encouraged and promoted by human service agencies and by public transit agencies in order to make best use of available funding and to have the greatest possible impact on these priorities, given the limited funds available. • Second-tier priorities, ranked “2,” are also important, and where there are interested, willing and able partners who wish to propose on these, such projects should be encouraged and funded to the extent that funds allow.
SBCTA, through its advisory body PASTACC, will be reviewing projects and making funding determinations for those projects providing services within the Los Angeles-Long Beach- Anaheim urbanized area (UZA). Caltrans, with some support from SBCTA around traditional capital projects, will be making award decisions for the rural, Riverside-San Bernardino and Victorville-Hesperia urbanized areas (UZA’s).
Promoting Transit Growth Through Section 5310 and Other Funding Sources The overarching goal of this 2016-2020 COORDINATED PLAN is to increase the trips-per-capita indicator, continuing to grow transit use and availability, even as San Bernardino County’s population continues to grow. Promoting the growth and capacity-building of the human service transportation network is an important component of this, even as the County’s five public transit providers, plus Metrolink, also seek to grow services and increase their ridership.
To accomplish these aims, a broad range of local, state and federal funding will be necessary and ideally come from sources that may include some human service funding as well as traditional public transit sources. This 2016-2020 COORDINATED PLAN seeks to provide direction, identify priorities and document supporting information for aggressively seeking funding from any number of sources.
96 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 6.6 PASTACC’s Role in Supporting this 2016-2020 COORDINATED PLAN
The SBCTA’s standing advisory body, the Public and Specialized Transportation Advisory and Coordination Council (PASTACC), has SBCTA-board appointed membership drawn from the two principal audiences of this document: the County’s public transportation operators and the human service sector, including human service transportation-providing agencies. As such, PASTACC has several potential roles in relation to this newly updated COORDINATED PLAN. These are enumerated here.
PASTACC By-Laws Review At the time of the previous 2012 COORDINATED PLAN update, a less comprehensive effort was undertaken to meet reporting deadlines and ensure basic compliance. This newest update presents a more extensively documented picture of the mobility gaps and needs of the County’s target group members, more so than has been undertaken since the first review, the original 2008 COORDINATED PLAN. Similarly, the PASTACC goals articulated in its formal by-laws are long-standing and have not been reviewed in the context of demographic changes, the expanded public transportation services network in San Bernardino County and the increasingly important role of technology in the finding of and provision of transportation.
For these reasons, it is recommended that PASTACC consider the five goal areas of this 2016- 2020 COORDINATED PLAN in relation to its own by-laws.
Coordination Strategies There are two strategies within Goal 2 – Promote and Coordinate Transportation Strategies that encourage communication between the sectors of public transit and human services and around which PASTACC could play a role.
o Strategy 2.3: Human service and transit agencies should make local connections to improve communication between service systems and ensure effective information exchange regarding service systems changes, anticipated changes, or facility-based changes. o Strategy 2.7: Develop targeted workshops, at least annually, to promote local dialogue and exchange between human services and public transit agencies and to explore opportunity for further coordination and mutual assistance.
97 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 PASTACC could assist with either of these. Historically PASTACC published a directory that provided contact information and other details of services, including who to reach at a transit agency with more systems-level issues. Various rider-oriented, web-based tools now exist, including Google Transit, VetLink and operators’ trip planners, making the old-style paper directory obsolete. However, the need for some face-to-face communication still exists. PASTACC could organize annual forums, inviting area human services staff alongside transit planners, and developing a format that invites exchanges around relevant service planning matters.
PASTACC meetings were held twice during the 2015-2016 year outside of the San Bernardino Valley and once in the west end of the San Bernardino Valley. Some restructuring of the PASTACC meeting itself, particularly when conducted in various areas of the county, could be considered to promote the exchange envisioned in these two strategies.
Reporting Strategies There were two reporting-related strategies identified among the 32 that have relevance to PASTACC:
• Goal 1 – Grow Mobility Choices o Strategy 1.8 Regularly report on transit and transportation services at the countywide level to track growth and trends in service supply and service utilization. • Goal 2 – Promote and Coordinate Transportation Services o Strategy 2.8 Mobility managers should report units of service and impacts to demonstrate the value of transportation initiatives PASTACC has been regularly summarizing annual trip data across modes to report on the trips- per-capita indicator. There may be other indicators of value to the strategies proposed in this 2016-2020 COORDINATED PLAN and by which to document progress toward a vision of improved mobility for target group person: older adults, persons with disabilities and persons of low- income. PASTACC could review, in the context of its annual work program, what specific reporting it might wish to monitor, considering which indicators PASTACC could best measure progress towards meeting this 2016-2020 COORDINATED PLAN’S mobility vision, goals and strategies.
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Appendix A – Transportation Provider Inventory Matrix Appendix B – Caltrans 5310 Fact Sheet
99 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 Appendix A – Transportation Provider Inventory Matrix
San Bernardino County Public Transit Options - Fixed Route
Provider Fixed-Route Commuter Service Area Fares Service Hours Transfer Policies Omnitrans does not Adults: offer transfers. A new Cash-$1.75; Day Passs $5.00; 7-Day Pass fare must be paid $18.00; 31-Day Pass $55.00 upon boarding each The San Service hours and days vary bus unless you Bernardino Valley Sen/Dis/Med: by individual route. purchase a bus pass. Routes between the Cash $.75; Day Pass $2.25; 7-Day Pass $8.00; Omnitrans pass offers Omnitrans Omnibus 215 and 290 cities of 31-Day Pass $27.50 As early as 3:45am free transfers to Chino/Chino Hills As late as 11:30pm Foothill Transit and and Yucaipa Youth: Cash $1.75; Day Pass $5.00; 7-Day Up to 7days per week Riverside Transit Pass $14.00; 31-Day Pass $41.00 Agency (RTA). Omnitrans accepts Children/Veterans: Free Metrolink passes for one free ride. Adults: Cash-$1.25; Day Passs $3.50; 31-Day Pass $50.00 NTC - BV Link - Sen/Dis/Med/Veteran: Cash $.60; Day Pass VVTA Down-the-Hill Victorville, $1.75; 31-Day Pass $25.00 Weekdays 6:00am to Victor Valley Hesperia, Apple Children: Free 9:00pm Transit Authority Yes Lifeline: Valley, and NTC Commuter Single Ride: $12.00; Saturdays 7:00am to 8:pm Between Riders with valid Adelanto Monthly Pass $175.00 - Sen/Dis/Med Sundays 8:00am to 6:00pm Omnitrans and Mountain Hesperia Needles and $87.50 Transit (MARTA) fare Barstow B-V Link: $6.00 each leg; $3.00 for media receive a $1.00 Sen/Dis/Med discount when paying B- Adults: V Link fare from stops NTC - BV Link - Cash-$1.25; Day Passs $4.00; 10-Ride Ticket: departing San VVTA Down-the-Hill $12.50; 31-Day Pass $43.00 Bernardino Valley on the Victor Valley Weekdays 7:00am to Barstow, Hinkley, same day of travel. Transit Authority 7:00pm Yes Lifeline: and Newberry Sen/Dis/Med/Veteran: Saturdays 9:00am to 5:00pm Between Springs Cash $.60; Day Pass $2.00; 10-Ride $6.00; 31- Barstow Area Sundays 8:00am to 4:00pm Needles and Day Pass $21.00 Transit Barstow Children: Free
100 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020
San Bernardino County Public Transit Options - Fixed Route
Provider Fixed-Route Commuter Service Area Fares Service Hours Transfer Policies Hwy Route: Adults - $2.50; Sen/Dis - $1.25 Local Routes: Adults - $1.25; Sen/Dis - $1.00 Operating hours vary Route 12: Adults - 29 Palms $10-$15; JT & between routes but SunLine also hosts YV $7-$11; MV $5-$9 primarily: Morongo Basin Transit 29 Palms, Yucca Sen/Dis - All locations $4.50-$9 Authority (MBTA) MBTA Routes 12/15 Valley, Joshua Weekday: 6:00am to Routes 12 and 15 Morongo Basin Yes in to Palm Tree, Landers, 29 Route 15: Adults - 29 Palms $20-25; JT/YV 10:00pm through a cooperative Transit Authority Springs Palms Marine $17-$21; MV $15-$19 service agreement at Base Sen/Dis - All locations $14.50-$19 Saturday: 7:15am to its stops in downtown 10:00pm Palm Springs. Passes: Day pass - Adults $3-$3.75; Sen/Dis $3; 31-Day - Adults $30-$40; Sen/Dis $20- Sunday: 9:00am to 7:35pm $25 Rim Local: cash fare between communities start at $1.00 and can be as high as $4.00; Day Pass $5.00; Weekly Pass $20.00; 10- Zone punch $9.00
Rim off the mountain: One-Way Cash Fare to San Bernardino: From Crestline - $4.50; Mountain Transit from Rimforest - $6.00; Arrowhead Village - accepts Omnitrans Off the $7.50 Operating hours vary passes and Metrolink Mountain Big Bear, 30-Punch Pass: $40.50 depending on the route. tickets for a $1.00 Mountain Transit Yes Service to San Crestline, Lake Service begins as early as (general) or $.50 Bernardino Arrowhead Big Bear Local: cash fare $1.50; Day Pass 5:25am and runs as late as (senior/disabled) Valley $4.00; Weekly Pass $20.00; 10-Zone punch 8:20pm discount on the cash $13.50 fare only.
Bib Bear off the mountain: One-Way Cash Fare to San Bernardino: From Fawnskin- $10.00; from Snow Valley - $7.50; Running Springs - $5.00 24-Punch Pass: $54.00 *Half-price fares to veterans, sen/dis Weekdays: 7:00am to Adult/Student: $1.00 City of Needles 7:00pm Sen/Dis: $0.90 Needles Area Yes None City of Needles N/A Deviations: $0.50 Transit Saturday: 10:00am to 30-Ride Pass: $28.50 2:00pm
101 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020
San Bernardino County Public Transit Options - Demand Respone Provider Service Area Description Eligibility Fares Service Hours Reservations Reservations can be Service hours and days made up to 7 days in 1 - 3 Zone Trip: $3.25 vary by individual Urbanized area ADA certified advance but no less than Additional Zones: route. between the cities of individuals that are the day before the Omnitrans Access (ADA certified) $1.00 Chino/Chino Hills and unable to use fixed- scheduled trip. Beyond Boundary: As early as 3:45am Yucaipa route transit Reservation hours are $5.00 As late as 11:30pm daily from 8:00am to Up to 7days per week 5:00pm
Victorville, Hesperia, Zone 1: $2.50 Victor Valley Transit Apple Valley, and Zone 2: $4.50 Reservations may be Authority - Hesperia ADA certified During the same hours Adelanto Direct Access (ADA Zone 3: $6.00 made from 1 day to 14 individuals that are as the fixed-route certified) curb-to-curb days in advance, unable to use fixed- transit in the are Victor Valley Transit service between 8 am to 5 pm Barstow, Hinkley, and route transit Cash $1.85 desired area of travel Authority - Barstow Monday - Sunday Newberry Springs 1-Trip Pass: $18.50 Area Transit
Adults/students: $5.00 Ready Ride - Premium Mon-Fri: 7:00am to 29 Palms, Yucca Sen/Dis: $2.00 MBTA Rate (general public) and Seniors and 5:00pm Valley, Joshua Tree, Sen/Dis 10-punch: Reservations made 24 Morongo Basin Transit fixed-route deviation; persons with Some areas have Landers, 29 Palms $12.50 hours in advance. Authority Ready Ride Discounted disabilities service limited to Marine Base Sen/Dis 20- Rate (ADA certified) certain days. punch:$25.00
102 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020
San Bernardino County Public Transit Options - Demand Response Provider Service Area Description Eligibility Fares Service Hours Reservations Big Bear: Within 3/4 miles of Big Bear: fixed-route: $5.00 Monday-Friday Outside of 3/4 miles: 5:30am to 7:30pm Curb-to-curb service for $7.50 Saturday & Sunday Reservations can be Big Bear, Crestline, those that live more than Mountain Transit General Public Sen/dis - half-price 6:30am to 6:30pm made between 1 to 14 Lake Arrowhead 3/4 mile from a Mountain days in advance. Transit fixed-route. Crestline: Crestline: $4, $6, $8, or $10 M-F 6:15 to 7:00pm depending on origin Sat 9:00am to 5:00pm and destination. Bus will deviate within Adult/Student: $1.00 Weekdays: Deviation pick-up NAT 3/4 mile from fixed-route Sen/Dis: $0.90 7:00am to 7:00pm requests must be City of Needles General Public Needles Area Transit to a specific destination Deviations: $0.50 Saturday: scheduled on the day of upon request 30-Ride Pass: $28.50 10:00am to 2:00pm requested service. Advance reservation service requests made Seniors and the day before, between City of Needles Shared ride, curb-to-curb Weekdays City of Needles persons with All fare is $1.00 9:00 am and 2:30 pm. Senior Dial-A-Ride service 9:00am to 1:00pm disabilities Same-day reservations are accepted, starting at 8:30 am. Needles to Hwy 95: Reservations are made in Tuesday and City of Needles City of Needles to Prescheduled medical $5.00 advance and through the General Public Thursdays Dial-A-Ride Medical Bullhead, AZ transportation North of Hwy 95: Needles Senior Citizens 9:00am to 2:00pm $10.00 Club
103 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020
Specialized Transit Inventory
Category Provider Name Service Name Address City State Zipcode Phone Specialized Transportation Central City Lutheran Mission CCLM TransportationService 1354 N. G Street San Bernardino CA 92405 (909) 381-6921
Senior Transportation City of Chino Senior Center Get S.M.A.R.T. Program 13220 Central Avenue Chino CA 91710 (909) 591-9836
Senior Transportation City of Montclair Senior Services Golden Montclair Express 5111 Benito; P.O. Box 2308 Montclair CA 91763 (909) 625-9452
Specialized Transportation City of Needles Senior Citizens Center Senior & Disabled Dial-A-Ride 1699 Bailey Ave Needles CA 92363 (760) 326-4789
Senior Transportation City of Ontario and West End YMCA Silver Stars Senior Transportation P.O. Box 3220 Ontario CA 91762 (909) 988-1864
Senior Transportation City of Rancho Cucamonga Silver Fox Express 11200 Baseline Rd Rancho Cucamonga CA 91701 (909) 477-2780
Senior Transportation City of Redlands Senior Transportation PO Box 3005 Redlands CA 92373 (909) 335-9660
Volunteer/Reimbursement City of San Bernardino Senior Program Medical Transportation 600 W. 5th Street San Bernardino CA 92410 (909) 384-5413
Volunteer/Reimbursement Community Senior Services Community Connections 141 Spring St Claremont CA 91711 (909) 621-9900
Specialized Transportation Desert Manna Homeless Transportation 201 N. 1st Avenue, Suite B Barstow CA 92311 (760) 256-7797
Veteran-Specific Disabled American Veterans Volunteer Driver Program 11201 Benton St San Bernardino CA 92354 (909) 583-6014
Senior Transportation Fontana Community Senior Center The Senior Transportation Shuttle 8353 Sierra Ave. Fontana CA 92335 (909) 854-5175
Specialized Transportation High Desert Medical Center Foundation NEMT Transportation PO Box 2460, 57045 Yucca Trail # 202 Yucca Valley CA 92286 (760) 366-6321
Medical Loma Linda University Medical Center CBAS Transportation 125 Club Center Drive San Bernardino CA 92408 (909) 651-3022
Specialized Transportation OPARC OPARC Connect 9029 Vernon Avenue Montclair CA 91763 (909) 985-3116
Specialized Transportation Pomona Valley Workshop PVW In Motion 4650 Brooks St. Montclair CA 91763 (909) 624-3555
Veteran-Specific United States Veterans Initiative U.S. Vets Transportation 16105 6th Street March ARB CA 92518 (951) 704-8201
Veteran-Specific Veterans Administration Veteran Transportation Service 11201 Benton St San Bernardino CA 92354 (909) 986-8351
104 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020 Appendix B – 5310 Caltrans Fact Sheet
105 PUBLIC TRANSIT – HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION PLAN FOR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, 2016-2020
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